TopicUK July 2018 by Yorkshire BusinessWoman & TopicUK

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YORKSHIRE EDITION Nยบ 33

D i s t r i b u t e d

BUSINESS

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Contents

& Comments

donates millions revival 11 Firm 16 Rickshaw to local charities gets Tuk Tukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moving

On the Move 22 Cover: John Cunliffe Image: Duncan Lomax www.ravageproductions.co.uk

Twin team crowned micro-business of the year

Young Entrepreneur meet Michal Szlas

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine contact 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk. co.uk. Published by Ghost Publishing Limited, Paragon Point, Paragon Business Village, Red Hall Crescent, Wakefield WF1 2DF. Law pages are written by Chadwick Lawrence & Ramsdens Solicitors LLP and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

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heights. No pun intended! Read more with John on page 26. X-Factor co-creator, Siobhan Greene, and Huddersfield Town chairman, Dean Hoyle, returned to their educational roots at Kirklees College in Huddersfield recently for a breakfast event talking about their life and careers to date.

Editors notes By Alex Mason

Hello, and welcome to the very first ‘Yorkshire-wide’ edition of TopicUK magazine I’m delighted to continue working alongside Gill, Rob and the TopicUK team to bring our readers more of the region’s best business news, interviews, knowledge and advice. Our first Yorkshire-wide issue received overwhelming interest, and we have chosen what we think are some of the top stories you don’t want to miss. Our cover star this time is John Cunliffe, who recently assumed his role as the new commercial director at Leeds Bradford Airport. Group Editor, Gill Laidler, met John to find out more about his exciting plans for the airport and how an all-new board and brand will take Yorkshire’s airport to new

Siobhan, who is originally from Shelley in Huddersfield, is now Head of Production at Syco TV, and Dean is the proud chairman of Huddersfield Town Football Club. Have a read of their story on page 19 to find out more. We ’ v e c o v e r e d s o m e o f Yo r k s h i r e ’ s r e c e n t appointments in our ‘On the Move’ section on page 24, and founder of Leeds-based mattress specialists, OTTY, Michal Szlas, tells us more about his journey as a young entrepreneur in our regular feature on page 58. These are just a few highlights from this month’s jam-packed issue, and we hope you enjoy reading it. As ever, send us your stories to editor@ topicuk.co.uk,§ tweet me @ alexdmasonPR or say hello to TopicUK @Topic_UK

For a full list of where you can pick up your free copy visit our website: www.topicuk.co.uk

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Group Editor Gill Laidler

Editor Alex Mason Design Rob Blackwell

The Arts Murray Edwards The Grand Theatre

Legal Matters Ramsdens Solicitors Chadwick Lawrence

Food & Drink Kevin Trickett MBE Gimbals Create Restaurant

Recruitment First Choice Recruitment Stafflex

It Paul Heigham, Bellingham It

Education Ackworth School

Banking Barclays Bank To Partner TopicUK

Tel: 07711 539047

Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield

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News

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CE Certificate for lightbox manufacturer

This Issue Double 2

Throws open it’s doors PAGE 8

Huddersfield graphic display specialist Leach has recorded a new industry milestone after becoming one of the first UK suppliers to secure CE certification for its lightboxes. Twenty configurations of the firm’s LED-lit products have all been individually assessed as part of a two-month, independent audit by UKASapproved test house SGS.

Airport flying high New charity partnership for LBA PAGE 10

Digital space opens

06 YORKSHIRE EDITION JULY 2018

3M Buckley Innovation Centre PAGE 12

Rickshaw revival Tuk-Tuk talk PAGE 16

Lunch with Dakota Deluxe Ladies, want to network ? PAGE 21

The reports that supplied alongside this widelyacknowledged standard will also aid the trade of the firm’s lightboxes in the export market. “CE certification is common among consumerfacing products, but is less apparent in the B2B space,” comments Leach’s head of innovation, Mike Willshaw. “However, brands, particularly retailers are becoming increasingly astute when conducting their due diligence, so our lightboxes they must demonstrate compliance to the highest standards too. “Our CE certified products provide that added peace of mind that our displays aren’t just eyecatching and long-lasting – they’re also wholly safe.” Managing director Richard Leach added: “ For us, there’s never been a more important time to deliver consistently high-quality products, a responsive service and value for money. An NPS score as strong as 63 – and higher than the likes of Amazon, John Lewis and Waitrose – is welcome evidence that we’re doing just that.”

Plans for next phase of Wellington Place MEPC has confirmed that its professional team are working on the detailed design of 4 Wellington Place following the grant of Reserved Matters planning consent with a view to a start on site during the latter half of 2018.

he stunning triangular building will complete the masterplan for this part of Wellington Place and provide unique office and ancillary retail/restaurant floorspace in a beautifully curated environment.

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Flying the Flag for Yorkshire Rotherham-based hospitality clothing and equipment specialist, Russums has launched a ‘Handmade in Yorkshire’ brand to highlight workwear that is produced in the sewing rooms at its South Yorkshire base. The special ‘Handmade in Yorkshire’ tags are being applied to over 300 items of hospitality workwear including neckerchiefs, skull caps, cotton and poly cotton waist and bib aprons and a new range of PVC bib aprons in both adult and children’s sizes. Russums Sales and Marketing Manager and proud Yorkshireman John-Paul Marsden is delighted with the new branding that was previewed at Hotelympia recently: “There isn’t much British made workwear these days and we wanted to showcase the great work that our sewing team turn out by creating a Handmade in Yorkshire tag.

masterplan. The huge level of interest in 3 Wellington Place since coming to market has underpinned our views that Wellington Place is providing something unique for the businesses in Leeds, a place and community that rivals anywhere in the country.”

“The range was very well received at Hotelympia, with one prospective customer expressing interest as she was opening a Yorkshire Pudding Wrap business in London and wanted to reflect the provenance of the pudding with Yorkshire made workwear! “Having an in house facility also gives us the ability to supply on demand and cut lead times” he concluded.

Partner at Sheppard Robson, Tony O’Brien added: “It’s great to be part of the team developing Wellington Place into a new dynamic business quarter in

The building is set to deliver 130,000 sq. ft of Grade A office accommodation to market, in addition to 17,000 sq. ft of ground floor retail and leisure space, plus a basement car park and landscape works as part of the wider public realm.

Wellington Place is providing something unique for the businesses in Leeds...

Paul Pavia, Head of Development at MEPC, said: “We are now progressing detailed designs for 4 Wellington Place as we’re confident that market conditions will be right to get started on this exciting project during the second half of this year. The build programme is set at just under two years and once complete, will finalise the east end of the development

the heart of Leeds. 4 Wellington Place will offer fully flexible office space and outstanding views, meeting the growing demands of future occupiers. We look forward to watching the building progress from diggers in the ground to completion, and hope businesses and retailers will enjoy making it their home from 2020.”

07 YORKSHIRE EDITION JULY 2018

The next instalment of this everexpanding development is due for completion in 2020 following the recent completion and launch of 3 Wellington Place. The latest addition will ensure that growing demand for international quality offices in Leeds is continually supplied for years to come to attract inward investment and business relocations to the City.

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production planning

Employees return to DoubleTwo Double 2, the famous Wakefield based Shirtmaking Company, threw open its doors to former employees recently.

The event was held to help the Wakefield Civic Society with a project to celebrate the industrial heritage of Double TWO, which has been a major employer to the people of Wakefield since the 1940’s. Amateur film maker and Civic Society member Karn Dyson has been working with Double TWO over the past few months, trawling the archives and interviewing Chairman Richard Donner in her quest to put together a film documenting the company and its role within the community. As the former workers sat and reminisced about their time at the company, audio was recorded for use in the film. They were then given a tour of the premises, some of which is still housed in the existing buildings in which they worked. Current employees were fascinated to hear about how parts of the building used to look and to listen

to the stories of their predecessors as they toured the premises. The former employees’ were also able to appreciate just how far things have come, with new technologies and new ways in which the very rooms they worked in are still been utilised, even if they do look a little different today! Memories discussed included participating in ‘Miss Double TWO’ contests, catching the special Double TWO buses into work, and in some cases meeting their partners at the company! The morning was aided by an appearance from Double TWO Chairman Richard Donner who happily chatted and reminisced with his former employees. The film was shown to the public, as part of the “With Banners Held High” on May 20th.

Kirkgate Factory

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Charity chairman attends Palace Birthday bash Adeem Younis, Chairman of British Humanitarian charity Penny Appeal, was delighted to accept an invitation to Buckingham Palace, to join his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, to mark his 70th Birthday. Adeem was invited in his role as member of the founders’ circle, of the British Asian Trust, which was set up in 2007 by Prince Charles, to help tackle the widespread poverty in Southern Asia. His Royal Highness has engaged with entrepreneurs and a group of visionary British Asian business leaders, to raise funds and awareness, so far making a difference to more than three million people. The four key areas of work are: anti-trafficking; education; livelihoods and mental health/ disability. “South Asia is home to 20% of the world’s population,” explained Adeem, “but 50% of the poorest, that’s almost 500 million people who survive on less than £1 a day.”

deprived communities to realise their talents and potential. Mosaic’s mentoring programme creates opportunities for young people growing up in the most deprived communities. With the help of volunteer mentors like Adeem acting as role models, the aim is to bridge the aspirations and attainment gaps. Groups benefitting from the mentors are: primary school students; secondary school students and young exoffenders.

Adeem also volunteers as a mentor for another of Prince Charles’ charities Mosaic, which inspires young people from

“Mentors give just a few hours of their time each month to make a real difference to these young people,” explained

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Company of the Month

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Sponsored by

CRO start-up to transform marketing landscape Leeds-headquartered Boostify has launched a new ‘all-in-one’ online customer engagement platform, which is the first of its kind to hit the marketing industry. Founded in 2013 as a live chat service by the company’s managing director Jonathan Thirkill, the last five years have seen him develop the tech firm into a fully-fledged conversion rate optimisation (CRO) platform, which empowers organisations to track, engage and convert website visitors into revenue. With a powerful suite of customisable tools including Social Proof, Chat and Capture – the latter of which enables businesses to send targeted, GDPR-compliant forms to customers – companies can gain an in-depth understanding of what content makes their visitors tick. As well as the site’s granular targeting and segmentation functionality, the widgets’ Adeem. “We help increase their confidence and reach their full potential. For me, it is a privilege to pass on the skills and knowledge I have learned to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to such information. “I was honoured to accept the invitation to help celebrate the Princes’ Birthday along with fellow mentors, entrepreneurs and charity leaders. I was delighted to meet both The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall who were very well informed and genuinely interested in the work that we do at British Asian Trust and Mosaic. This was also the first event for the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their wedding.” “I spoke with the Prince about the holy month of Ramadan and that we were unable to eat until after 9pm so he kindly arranged for the Palace to provide us with biscuits when we left.”

dynamic nature also means that they autoupdate throughout each stage of the customer journey. The whole process is designed to equip site users with the confidence they need to continue through the sales cycle and – most importantly – feel understood and valued by a brand. “There are currently no online tools on the market which integrate so many advanced, conversion-specific features into one digital offering, and that’s what makes our technology so unique,” explains Jonathan. “Many companies shy away from CRO because they’re either too overwhelmed about how and where to start, or because they’re hesitant to invest time and money into processes which carry ROI uncertainty.”

Boostify’s unique selling point is that – through omitting time-heavy web development and A/B testing phases – in-house marketing teams and agencies can trial content variations and roll them out in minutes, without the need for outsourcing. This breaks down complex, technical barriers – which prevent digital marketers from creating an effective conversion strategy – and instead makes CRO universally accessible. Previously head of conversion at Age Partnership, Jonathan’s extensive website optimisation background saw him significantly increase the financial firm’s conversion rate. He soon realised that the tools he developed to transform their online traffic into bottom-line revenue could help organisations nationwide. Offering his concluding comments on how the platform will change the e-commerce landscape, Jonathan said: “Any business which is looking to increase their traffic – whilst being smart about how they hone this to generate profit and supersede their conversion goals – would benefit from Boostify’s powerful dashboard.” The CRO system is available via a monthly subscription model, including optional onboarding, consulting and technical support.

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Airport flying high with official charity partnership Together the foundations of both Bradford City and Leeds United will become first official charity for the Leeds Bradford Airport

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girls under seven years old who have not played football before. The overarching ambition of the Leeds United Foundation is to make the City Region a healthier, happier and more successful place to live and grow. David Laws, Chief Executive of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “Sport is a fantastic passion for people across Yorkshire. Both charities do tremendous work across the region in a number of communities and we feel this latest initiative is another way in which we can achieve our ultimate goal in creating an airport the people of Yorkshire feel proud of. “Both charities are very worthwhile causes and the airport is the perfect place to reach millions of people. “It is fantastic to celebrate this

ollowing the recent unveiling of its updated brand, Leeds Bradford: Yorkshire’s Airport, the region’s largest, has now brought together the foundations of both Bradford City and Leeds United, announcing they will jointly become the airport’s first ever official adopted charity.

Pictured: David Laws, CEO at Leeds Bradford Airport launches the partnership with Tyrell Robinson (Bradford City FC) and Eunan O’Kane (Leeds United FC).

The new partnership will join both clubs together for the first time, where the foundations will work to fundraise regularly in the terminal and will form a programme of events to engage both staff and customers at the airport. Over 2,500 people work onsite at Leeds Bradford Airport and more than 4million passengers passed through its doors in 2017.

Bradford City FC Community Foundation is a self-funded, registered charity with its main aim to make a difference to people’s lives and to promote the improvement of health and well-being of the local community. Through the medium of football and multi-sports, the foundation aims to encourage more people of all ages, race, gender and ability whilst educating them in the areas of health and fitness. The Leeds United Foundation is a registered charity delivering high quality programmes to support people across the Leeds City Region, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Foundation has a diverse range of projects working with everyone from older people living with dementia to

A collaborative partnership which uses the power of our of presence in the region to make a difference at every level of society... historic moment in bringing them both together and we are delighted to be able to help them reach out to Yorkshire, raising awareness of what they do as well as fundraising within our terminal.” James Mason, Chief Operating Officer at Bradford City Football Club, said: “The announcement of this new partnership is fantastic news for the Bradford City Community Foundation. To align with such a big stakeholder in the region as Leeds Bradford Airport it will hopefully enable us to maximise the exposure of all the good work that we do in West Yorkshire. Also the high profile recognition from LBA in partnering with ourselves and Leeds

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United highlights the importance of the social impact football clubs can have in their communities. “Working together on a number of initiatives with mutual benefits to all parties can only be a good thing. The increased funds raised will enable both foundations to further support the areas of Leeds and Bradford.” Angus Kinnear, Managing Director at Leeds United Football Club, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Leeds Bradford Airport to link with their neighbouring football clubs to support the communities they serve. “We have an ambition to do the best for our supporters and I know that Leeds Bradford Airport is planning to provide a service which will make it the prime focus for business and holiday destinations across the region and beyond. “We are all looking forward to developing a collaborative partnership which uses the power of our of presence in the region to make a difference at every level of society and to bring our collective resources together to make the Leeds City Region a healthier, happier and more successful place to live and grow. The opportunities provided for people from all backgrounds will ensure the region has the success it deserves.” As part of the airports commitment to both charities, fundraising events will be held throughout the year encouraging both passengers and corporate partners to get involved. To kick off the partnership in style, Leeds Bradford Airport will be hosting a gala dinner later this year in aid of both foundations.

Healthcare firm donate millions to Yorkshire charities Bradford-based health care cash plan provider Sovereign Health Care is celebrating after donating a total of £5.8m to health and wellbeing charitable causes throughout Yorkshire over the past decade.

During the past ten years, Sovereign Health Care has made a number of significant donations to local good causes. The largest was £300,000 to Bradford’s Marie Curie Hospice in 2014. This enabled the charity to build a brand new wing, complete with en-suite rooms and state-of-the-art breathing equipment to support people living with a terminal illness.

The company, which this year marks its 145th anniversary, made donations totalling £485,838 during 2017, which enabled it to achieve the £5.8m mark.

Sovereign Health Care chief executive, Russ Piper, said: “Each year, any surplus we make is available to reinvest into the business or donate to community and charitable causes with a health and wellbeing focus.

The donations supported local causes in Leeds, Bradford, Keighley, Shipley, Wetherby, Wakefield and Haworth as well as national organisations, Barnardo’s, The Salvation Army, NSPCC, Royal British Legion and Heart Research UK. Among the 146 organisations to receive donations in 2017 was Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes, which secured £2,000 towards its free out-ofhours transportation service across the region. In Leeds, Clowns in the Sky, a charity which supports children with brain tumours, received £800 to stock its sensory and activity trolleys with craft materials, toys and games.

“This has enabled us to donate, on average, £500,000 each year over the past decade. Our loyal customers make this possible, and that is why our charitable donations are focused within Yorkshire as this is where the majority of our customers reside. “We have a long history of charitable giving, and it is something that sets us apart within the highly competitive health insurance industry. Donating a total of £5.8m over a ten-year period is something all of us at Sovereign Health Care are particularly proud of.”

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Computer training suite digital space opens 3M Buckley Innovation Centre facilities are now open for business Companies now have access to a new self-serve digital space and a computer training suite at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) in Huddersfield, part of the Huddersfield Innovation and Incubation Project (HIIP), as the centre announces both facilities are now open for business. The HIIP has been funded through a £2.9m grant from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1bn package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region. Key The Byte is the self-service digital space which provides 3D printing facilities, including an Ultimaker 3, Makerbot and FormLab2 for small prototype production, as well as equipment for game production, with VIVE and Oculus Rift Virtual Reality (VR) equipment available and the ability to produce high quality videos with the 4K Videography camera.

Businesses can also ‘view’ what their customers see using the TOBII eye tracking equipment attached to a laptop/PC that can observe where their customers look, providing key information on ‘how’ clients view products and whether key messages on benefits or safety are being received and understood as the business intends. Interactive The Byte also houses high definition computing facilities that will allow SMEs to design products using business licensed software, enabling them to pitch their ideas to external companies to help launch their product. A ‘messy/wet’ area allowing the design of physical entities for further study or development before taking to full scale production is also available in the adjacent Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre (DOYYEC) within the 3M BIC. The fully equipped Innovation Training Suite is now also available, providing up

‘Companies now have access to a new self-serve digital space and a computer training suite at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) in Huddersfield, part of the Huddersfield Innovation and Incubation Project (HIIP)

Entrepreneur scoops industry award Martin Mellor, founder and managing director of Mellor Financial Management, has won the ‘advisor of the year’ award in the inaugural Yorkshire Accountancy Awards 2018. The ceremony, took place at New Dock Hall in Leeds, welcoming more than 300 guests to celebrate

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3M Buckley Innovation Centre Riverside.

busy last few weeks, with the building works taking place and equipment being delivered and installed. Having the Innovation Training Suite and The Byte up and running means that we can now offer computer training facilities as well as creative technology for prototyping and gaming, which will benefit many businesses across the Leeds City Region.” Progress One business that has already taken advantage of The Byte is Louis Hughes, owner of Bad Imp Studios and DOYYEC tenant, who has been using the VR equipment to help him produce his first game.

to 20 trainees with individual laptops linked to an 84” Microsoft Surface Hub system alongside traditional AV equipment for fully interactive training sessions. From training sessions for small businesses to brainstorms, the suite allows businesses to bring ideas together without losing the flow of the whole team’s input in sessions.

accountancy achievements across the Yorkshire region. Having recently celebrated its third year in business, Mellor Financial Management has experienced a 400% increase in revenue and continuous year-on-year growth. Founded in 2015, Mellor Financial Management works with a range of businesses across industries including manufacturing, professional services, retail, hospitality and events.

Training sessions can be recorded for future analysis. Electronic copies of all notes can also be made as the session progresses and documents can be stored in one place to be able to report back on sessions. Michael Wilson, Centre Manager and HIIP Director at the 3M BIC, said: “It’s been a very

The Yorkshire Accountancy Awards has been developed to celebrate the achievements of local small, mid-tier and large firms operating in the financial sector. Martin commented: “Winning the award was a real privilege. We aim to do things differently by not only partnering with our clients but becoming embedded into their team to support them on their journey for growth. It has truly been a phenomenal year.”

Louis said: “I’m in the final stages of my first ever VR game, which means I need to regularly check its progress using the VR equipment. I have my own VR set at home but having to transport it into work every day wasn’t ideal. Having the headset at the 3M BIC means I can spend more time in the DOYYEC, as well as have the space to set up the 3D tripods, which mark out the play area, so I can practice the game.”

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Consultancy promotes trade and investment opportunities in China ConnectChina, host local businesses to Yunnan Province International specialist business consultancy, ConnectChina, recently hosted Lightsong Media Group and Scala Group during a visit to South West China as part of its recent contract win with the Yunnan Investment Bureau as it looks to attract new companies and promote the trade and investment opportunities in the Yunnan Province. From micro companies to multinationals, ConnectChina will bring together representatives of UK and Irish businesses, who either currently trade in China or trade abroad. The initiative is part of a broad strategy by the Yunnan Investment Bureau seeking to build stronger international business connections and create opportunities for investment in the Yunnan Province. With countless companies of all sizes from the UK currently thriving in China, Managing Director of ConnectChina, Joanna Lavan, is inviting UK and Irish businesses who are interested in the growth opportunities in China to contact ConnectChina to explore the Yunnan Province, either as an initial discussion or as part of a planned trip meeting potential partners and government officials. The visits will showcase the strength wof the Yunnan Province as a leading investment and business

With UK exports to China seeing a 60% growth since 2010, according to the Home Office, trade between the UK is already at record levels.

Modern Logistics, Consumer & Food Manufacturing, Agriculture, Tourism & Culture and New Materials. Commenting on the contract, Joanna said: “ConnectChina is proud to collaborate with the Yunnan Investment Bureau to share our knowledge and help the Yunnan Province continue to develop. We’re excited that we have the opportunity to support many more companies into China and strengthen business links.”

Developing from a remote region into a powerhouse of China, the Yunnan Province is the thirdfastest growing in China with a population of 47 million and boasts 132 industrial parks, covering key sectors that include Biological medicine, Information/E-commerce,

“Yunnan presents a wealth of opportunities for trade and investment, and the visits we are hosting are important in showcasing the very best of what the Province has to offer while providing practical advice to businesses ready to take the next step into new markets in China.”

destination and give a unique vantage point for potential investors to explore. A series of events to raise awareness of investing in Yunnan will also be hosted by ConnectChina across the UK and Ireland, supported by Cathay Pacific, Appt and Traveleads.

Joanna Lavan (third from left) visiting the Yunnan Provincial Cooperation & Investment Bureau

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anaged by Leeds Community Foundation (LCF), The Leeds Fund has distributed over £600,000 since it was launched in 2016 to support a variety of local issues and build on the Foundation’s vision of creating a city of opportunity for all. HARIBO’s donation of £20,000 was inspired by HRH Prince Harry’s 2017 visit where he spoke at LCF’s Leeds Fund event before visiting HARIBO’s Castleford based facility. Grants of up to £2,500 were awarded to projects aiming to improve young people’s mental wellbeing and give them the tools to keep their minds healthy. Projects included: LS14 Trust, who will create and facilitate a group therapy session with 8 young people to explore their own understanding of mental health and coping strategies, while developing an understanding of how different types of therapy, including art therapy, can help people. New Wortley Community Association, who will deliver weekly sessions including buggy walks, parent and baby yoga, healthy cooking classes, and other activities and speaker sessions requested by young parents. Purple Patch Arts, who, through their Lifelong Learning Programmes, will support a group of young people with learning disabilities to maintain good mental health through self-care and innovative approaches to mental health education. Seagulls Reuse, who will offer a more focused approach to volunteer placements in their social enterprise paint re-use store, providing a friendly and holistic work place for isolated and marginalised young people to learn team work and basic life skills. The Growing Zone, who will work closely with 25 young people with disabilities and special needs to teach them how to build garden furniture using recycled materials. Beacon, Black Health Initiative, Christ Church Armley, Headingley Lishi Arts, Hunslet Initiative, My Bright Kite, Stitch Up, TCV

Haribo supports mental wellbeing of young people Thanks to a donation from HARIBO, 14 community projects have received a Leeds Fund grant to improve the emotional and mental well being of young people across Leeds.

Skelton Grange and Together for Peace were the other organisations to receive a grant. Herwig Vennekens, Managing Director at HARIBO, said: “We were impressed by the work of The Leeds Fund and wanted to play our part in supporting local communities and young people. We are delighted that our donation has enabled 14 fantastic projects to receive Leeds Fund grants to improve the mental wellbeing of young people. We’re looking forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects and how this diverse range of activities can help provide local young people with the tools they need to support their emotional and mental health.” Kate Hainsworth, CEO of Leeds Community Foundation, said: “The Leeds Fund is

committed to raising awareness and money to support community projects across Leeds that tackle a range of issues that help local people.”

“We were impressed by the work of The Leeds Fund and wanted to play our part in supporting local communities... and young people.

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Rickshaw revival gets business TukTuks moving Thanks to AD:VENTURE, which provides businesses with the practical help, support and opportunity to reach their potential within the three years of trading, Ajay Sharma kick-started Rickshaw Revival.

Designer is ‘one to watch’ Head of design from award-winning digital agency, Bolser has been named as the ‘one to watch’ at digital festival. Hanneka Kilburn, Head of Design at Leeds-based digital agency Bolser has won the ‘One To Watch’ award at Leeds Digital Festival 2018 for her passion for creativity, accessibility in design, visionary outlook and for being an all-round great leader. Hanneka who is 32, has risen to great heights relatively early in her career and as Bolser’s Head of Design, she has led work for global clients including EE, KFC, Microsoft, XBOX and Battersea Power Station. At the sellout event this year, Bolser brought together a panel of digital experts with their latest insights and experiences of UI (user interface)/UX (user experience) innovation as part of the Leeds Digital Festival. Hanneka led this event and after a fantastic presentation which provided some great insights into design and showed off some of her best work, Hanneka was

shortlisted and then went on to win the ‘One To Watch’ award as part of Leeds Digital Festival 2018. With a panel of 6 judges headed up by Festival Director, Stuart Clarke, and facing tough competition from the 3 other nominees in her category, it proved that this was no easy win. The judges said; “Hanneka has clearly risen to great heights relatively early in her career. As Bolser’s Head of Design, which sees her leading a team, she combines a passion for creativity and accessibility in design with a visionary and efficient approach to integrating design with Scrum in the agile process.” Hanneka says; “It was such a shock to win but I want to thank everyone at Bolser as it’s a huge effort from the whole team – a special thank you to Lorena, our Studio Manager, for the nomination and her support.”

To date 30 Tuk-Tuks have been imported from India, converted and sold. Innovative and often quirky, they are now being used for mobile marketing and as a cost-effective platform for food, drink or retail businesses. Ajay Sharma, Managing Director at Rickshaw Revival, comments: “No matter how exciting your product is or how innovative the opportunity you sometimes need a helping hand. AD:VENTURE instilled confidence and motivated me to pursue my new business opportunity, this got me started and I have never looked back!” “Through practical support AD:VENTURE helped me to better understand and meet with the regulations I needed to get my business idea moving and to develop my supply chain. This got my Tuk-Tuks noticed in the right circles and showcased their potential to brands and entrepreneurs.” “From the highlands of Scotland to the south coast, our conversions are distributed nationally; they deliver goods, sell Prosecco, Peroni, coffee and a whole host of products at events and venues throughout the UK. We are recognised for customer service, quality and cost competitiveness and for helping to kick-start businesses in a cost effective, competitive way. We’re now looking forward to attending

catering exhibitions and also to realising our ambition of establishing UK wide franchises.”

Supported by a dedicated advisor from AD:VENTURE, Ajay received practical help and support. Cllr Denise Jeffery, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Regeneration at Wakefield Council, said: “Small and medium sized businesses play an important role in helping the local economy. They also support our aspiration for greater growth and prosperity for our district.”

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A Wakefield based entrepreneur that recognised the new business potential of importing and refurbishing Tuk-Tuks has helped more than 15 micro businesses since its launch just twelve months ago.

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Business Development Manager, Adam Gilberts (pictured) has joined the AYRE team, to help grow the new

Turnover is substantial with one local engineering firm benefitting from a constant supply of business, and another one developing. Recognising that start-ups

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To celebrate turning four, iCO Event Services, an AV/Production company based in West Yorkshire have re-launched as AYRE – The Live Comms Company and brought in a new Business Development Manager to help grow the brand.

AYRE has been launched at a time when more and more event organisers and clients are demanding a more creative and interactive feel to their events. Even the most corporate of brands are now looking for something fun and fresh. AYRE can help clients achieve this with their new in-house design team and industry-leading technology; working closely with each client to bring their vision to reality.

and smaller enterprises need guidance, AD:VENTURE provides practical support through a network of dedicated Advisors. As well as providing guidance, AD:VENTURE Business Advisors can also provide access to dedicated funded support, a schedule of master classes, workshops and events that focus on a range of essential areas such as marketing, branding, market research and financial forecasting that applicants may want to attend in order to strengthen their applications.

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Wave goodbye to the old brand

iCO Event Services started from a small office in Wakefield, supplying dry-hire AV equipment to venues, hotels, and direct clients. After out growing not one but two offices, iCO relocated to Leeds. A bigger office, a bigger warehouse and a bigger offering to their clients.

In the first year a mixture of 30 conversions and traded Tuk-Tuks were marketed. Today one full time member of the team is employed and the business looks set to double its commissions throughout 2018 and again in 2019.

brand. Adam commented “It is a great time to join the team at AYRE. We will be taking everything we have learned as iCO and developing it further with a new exciting, and creative brand. We are in a great position to offer event industry professionals a one-stop shop for all of their event production needs” Managing Director, Chris Ayre added “It’s a great time to be in the events industry, as the UK is attracting more and more conference and event projects, we have never been so well placed. AYRE comes with a more progressive creative approach to our client’s projects, backed up with a large stock of advanced technical equipment; everything is in one place”

Consultancy opens Leeds office An award-winning performance consultancy which operates in the City of London, Europe and the US has opened an office in Leeds. Tougher Minds, which delivers practical, effective and highly engaging training to help people improve resilience, well-being and personal performance, was created by Yorkshireborn Dr Jon Finn. The consultancy has reached over 10,000 people with its

programmes during the last decade. It has identified Leeds, with its vibrant business community and rapidly growing tech sector, as an area it wishes to offer its services to.

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The hunt is on for young achievers

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Nominations for the 26th Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards have opened and, as always, the organisers are looking for nominations from across the region.

LtoR - Chris Blundell, Kathryn McCormick, Jill Blundell and Peter McCormick

LtoR - Kathryn Apanowicz, Eddie and Linda Gray. Above Images: kate Mallender

he Awards, sponsored by McCormicks solicitors of Harrogate, mark the achievements of outstanding young people aged under 35 from across Yorkshire.

Yorkshire, with grants made to both individuals and organisations supporting them, including sportspeople, those involved in the arts and disabled youngsters.

Awards Chairman Peter McCormick OBE said: “Nominating someone is very simple and we are keen to hear about the success of young people from wherever they live in Yorkshire. We know where is a tremendous amount of talent and determination out there so please let us hear about it.” The Awards are organised by the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation and have raised more than £1.2 million to support young people in

On hand to launch the 2018 awards at ITV Calendar studios, supported by presenter Duncan Wood, were the 2017 Youngster of the Year, Evie Addelman of Leeds who campaigns to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease and grant recipient Jessica Mayjo, a hammer thrower who is aiming to compete in the Olympics. TopicUK editor Gill Laidler was also there as media partner. Later in the day a reception followed for sponsors and guests at West Park Hotel,

Harrogate, sponsored by Provenance Inns and Hotels Group. The closing date for entries is Friday 14 September and winners will be announced at the Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards dinner on Thursday 8 November at Leeds United Centenary Pavillion. Tickets for the event are now on sale through the website.

To nominate a potential winner, visit the website: www.yorkshireyoungachievers. co.uk or contact Sonia Jones at McCormicks Solicitors on 01423 530630.

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ntrepreneur and Huddersfield Town Chairman, Dean Hoyle, and Siobhan Greene, head of television at Syco TV, were the guest speakers at the recent Huddersfield Town Enterprise Academy (HTEA) networking meeting. HTEA is a joint partnership between Kirklees College and Huddersfield Town Football Club’s commercial team designed to bring business people in the town to meet and work together. The Huddersfield Heroes event was held at the college’s Landings 72 restaurant and guests enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by staff and students before hearing from the speakers. HTAFC Commercial Director Sean Jarvis hosted the event and interviewed the two speakers before facilitating a Q&A session. Head of Sales and Marketing at Kirklees College Lydia Butterworth said: “As someone who is Huddersfield born and bred, I’m immensely proud of our town and the accomplishments of its residents. “It was fascinating to hear from our alumni, Dean and Siobhan, who were informative and entertaining in equal measure.” Dean, who is originally from Heckmondwike, was at D e wsbury and Batley Technical and Arts College (DABTAC) as an engineering apprentice in 1984. He founded Card Factory, a chain of greeting card and gift stores, alongside his wife in 1997. By 2009 the company had over 500 stores, employing in excess of 5,000 people. In 2010 Dean sold the business as he was being awarded a host of accolades in the field of entrepreneurship, including Ernst & Young’s ‘North and Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year’ in July 2009 and Chadwick Lawrence’s ‘Business Person of the Year’ in November 2011 at the Huddersfield Examiner Business Awards.

Huddersfield Town Chairman and X-Factor creator speak at Kirklees College Two former students who have gone on to high profile careers returned to Kirklees College recently as ‘Huddersfield Heroes’. He joined the Board of Directors at Huddersfield Town in April 2008 as Chairman-elect, eventually taking over as Chairman in June 2009. Siobhan Greene, who is originally from Shelley, is Head of Television at Syco TV, and producer of some of the biggest shows on UK TV including X Factor, Stepping Out and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Siobhan started her career at Yorkshire Television in Leeds as a typist, after learning the skill as a student at the former Huddersfield Technical College. She worked as a runner, then researcher on The Time The Place, and fly on the wall

documentary series Jimmy’s, before moving to Granada in Manchester to work on Stars in their Eyes and You’ve Been Framed. During her time, she co-created Popstars the Rivals and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. In 2003 she left ITV to set up Syco Television alongside Simon Cowell and Nigel Hall where they co-created and executive produced The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. She returned to ITV to become Director of Entertainment for ITV Studios in 2012 and in 2016 was made Head of Entertainment Commissioning.

LtoR: Commercial Director HTAFC Sean Jarvis, Head of Sales and Marketing Kirklees College Lydia Butterworth, Siobhan Greene, Dean Hoyle, Kirklees College Director of External Relations Helen Rose

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NGC Networks saddle up for charity

Wakefield based NGC has donated £7,500 to become joint owner of Aelius, a four-year old chestnut gelding trained by Mick Easterby at his yard at Sheriff Hutton, York. LtoR - NGC director Nikki Guest, jockey Harrison Shaw and trainer Mick Easterby.

NGC’s donation will go to the County Air Ambulance Trust’s HELP Appeal which raises funds to develop helipads at hospitals across the country including Yorkshire.

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Nikki Guest, director at NGC Networks, said: “Becoming joint owner of Aelius is a novel way for us to support a charity which has helped fund helipad projects at our region’s hospitals including Leeds, Hull and Sheffield. We are looking forward to seeing Aelius racing and hopefully securing more wins this year.” Robert Bertram, HELP Appeal’s Chief Executive said: “We are hugely grateful to NGC Networks for its generous donation. The money raised will go towards building and upgrading hospital helipads at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary as they are vital in helping to reduce the amount of time it takes for a seriously ill patient to be transferred to the emergency department to have the expert treatment that they urgently need. “We have already funded the helipads at Sheffield Northern General Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary and between the two there have been over 400 landings since 2016. Having a helipad at the hospital is a lifesaver for many patients.” Proceeds from Aelius’ winnings will be donated to charity.

Ladies network lunch with Dakota Deluxe

Network by invitation The Business Catalyst Club was set up by Graham Shiers, who has over 18 years’ experience of organising and delivering effective networking events. Graham has built a solid reputation for encouraging entrepreneurial values, emergent talent and stimulating business development and growth alongside funding services, with a particular focus on the Northern business community. The Business Catalyst Club brings together entrepreneurs, investors and decision makers

together to share new and exciting business opportunities. This is a quarterly invitation-only event and offers an effective platform for a small number of companies seeking growth capital to showcase their proposals to members and guests, many of whom are private or institutional investors and lenders. If you would like to receive an invitation please contact Graham on: info@ businesscatalystclub.co.uk or call: 07818 675 310

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Charity welcomes Andrea Jenkyns MP

Ladies, want to network in elegant surroundings over a delicious lunch? Then Dakota Deluxe’s ladies networking lunches are for you. Held on the first Wednesday of each month, these two course lunches are open to all ladies and cost just £20. TopicUK Group editor went along to the last one: “As you can imagine the TopicUK team attend a lot of networking events, but this one had real quality contacts and was very well attended,” explained Gill Laidler. “As you would expect from a quality hotel, the food was delicious, a main course of chicken breast, served with asparagus and a side selection

of seasonal vegetables, followed by a lemon mouse topped with fresh fruit. “The guest speaker was from Louis Vuitton, who entertained with the story and history of the French designer, even bringing along a selection of luxury bags and merchandise. TopicUK will be partnering with Dakota Deluxe going forward and will bring you news of all future events, not forgetting the men too - watch this space!” The lunch takes place on the first Wednesday of every month from 1pm to 3pm and includes a glass of fizz on arrival.

To reserve your place email Sophie: events@leeds. dakotahotels.co.uk

Morley and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns enjoyed a visit to Wakefield humanitarian charity Penny Appeal recently, meeting many of the staff and learning about the work of the organisation. Andrea was invited by Chairman Adeem Younis who was keen to show her around and explain the work that the charity does. “I was amazed to find such a fabulous charity right here in Wakefield,” said Andrea. Penny Appeal’s work is vital, not just in the developing world, but

here in the UK, where they provide care packs for the homeless, visit children in hospitals handing out gifts, support with vital aid where needed such as distributing emergency essentials for victims of Grenfell Tower, who were left with nothing but the clothes they were standing in and provide food for food banks used by the homeless and less affluent in our societies. “It never ceases to amaze me the number of brilliant businesses we have in our region and Penny Appeal is high on that list. Adeem and his team of staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to build such a fantastic charity,” Andrea added.

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Twin-team crowned micro business of the year

Leeds based studio, Buttercrumble, battled hundreds of fellow Yorkshire businesses to be crowned Micro Business of the Year 2018 (Yorkshire and Humberside).

he Federation of Small Businesses host the annual celebrations in order to champion the nation’s best entrepreneurs. Despite being a team of two, Buttercrumble have proven you can be micro and mighty! The studio was formed by twin sisters, Abigail and Chloe Baldwin, from Scarborough. Through their shared passion, they joined forces to produce illustration and design with an ethos of making others smile.

The Little Bookshop Hero Illustration

The 23-year-old twins completed identical degrees at The University of Leeds in 2016 before making the city their home.

Buttercrumble believe by working in a small team, you have the opportunity to shine and form strong relationships with clients.

The sisters took the leap into full-time self employment in January 2017 and haven’t looked back. They have had the pleasure of partnering with local businesses and organisations including Leeds Dock, The Royal Armouries, Myroo and The Little Bookshop. They have also collaborated with household names including John Lewis.

By supporting Micro Businesses, you will boost the local economy as most money spent with them, circulates back into the local economy. You’ll also be making a difference by supporting the talents of innovative entrepreneurs who have a real passion to deliver great customer service and quality products.

Fashion brand launches royalty inspired range A Yorkshire-based fashion brand, Butterfly Tree, has partnered with one of the world’s leading textile companies to launch its new royalty-inspired handbag range. Renowned textile manufacturer, AW Hainsworth will supply the Leeds designer with the same premium woollen cloth that has previously been used to clothe royalty.

Established in 1783, AW Hainsworth secured a royal warrant to supply HM The Queen in 2004. The textile firm has also supplied fabric to the military and worked with several Hollywood blockbuster movies including the Harry Potter series, Titanic and most recently Oscar winning film, The Darkest Hour. Founded in 2015 by part-time ballet-teacher Claire Shakespeare, Butterfly Tree will launch

its new range of fashion accessories, named the Hainsworth Collection, in May 2018. Claire began Butterfly Tree at her kitchen table three years ago. She has since expanded the business, securing a partnership with national retailer, John Lewis and moving to larger premises to accommodate rapid growth. Commenting on the collaboration with AW Hainsworth, founder of Butterfly Tree Claire said: “I am absolutely

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Following its support of the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour, Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk has taken things to the next level. In May, the Store answered a request, from Lorraine Wheelton, to give support for a sponsored walk at a local School. The supermarket took the opportunity to find out more. Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk’s PR Ambassador, Steve Scriven, discovered that the School was raising the funds to buy Outlast Construction Blocks, for all the kids to use.

Buttercrumble hope to assist other small businesses by joining forces with #MicroBizMatters Day and the Business and IP Centre Leeds. The twins will be engaging with a range of exciting partnerships in 2018 including Leeds Creative Labs at The University of Leeds. The Micro Business will also be growing their team in order to provide opportunities to local creative talent.

Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk’s online tour

Lorraine told the store that her son, Ethan, who is autistic, would be taking part in the walk to help raise more funds.

who looks forward to receiving his porridge when the groceries are delivered.

The store also found out that the family regularly use Sainsbury’s Online shopping service, and was full of praise for the drivers who always take the time to speak to Ethan,

To celebrate this, Ethan and his Mum and dad, Lorraine and Rob, were all invited to the store to meet some of the colleagues and take a tour round the Online department.

delighted to be working with AW Hainsworth on my new collection. They will be the sole provider of fabric on this particular collection which I think really showcases British craftsmanship. Director of AW Hainsworth, Adam Hainsworth added: “We’re thrilled that Butterfly Tree has decided to use our fabric to create its beautiful new range. The brand’s bags are a real reflection of the quality and elegance of our fabric and we’re so pleased to be able to support a fellow local Yorkshire business with strong British values.”

Store Manager, Dee O’Brien said, “I am proud of the service that our Online department delivers, and glad they all enjoyed their visit to the store” During the visit Ethan saw how his porridge is picked and loaded onto a van ready to be delivered.

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Rachel joins the Ramsdens team

New Appointments throughout our region

Ramsdens Solicitors has appointed Rachel Sharp, who joins Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence A Leeds-based print management teams, as a Solicitor. firm has made two key appointments to its growing team. Rachel, has a wealth of

New staff for print firm

Birstall-based PMG, adds another 40 years’ industry experience to the team bringing its total headcount to 16.

On The Move

Marianne Hanley has been appointed as business development administrator. Prior to this, she gained 20 years’ experience in the print industry and has joined to bolster business development as PMG continue to grow. Paul Bowen has joined the firm’s print sourcing team. An expert in print management and production, Paul also boast 20 years’ experience in production, print and print management. Managing director Mike Roberts commented: “Marianne and Paul both bring a wealth of experience to PMG and we are confident that they will help support our further growth.

“The future of print is strong. In an age where we’re inundated with online messages, having a tactile piece of print is key to clever marketing and with new GDPR requirements coming into force which affects unsolicited online marketing, direct mail campaigns are set to experience a revival.”

experience, specialising in complex, high value Clinical Negligence actions arising from medical malpractice together with Personal Injury accident claims including,

Tom crosses the Pennines Wakefield Council has appointed a new Corporate Director to head up its regeneration and economic growth services.

To m S t a n n a r d , w h o i s c u r re n t l y t h e D i re c to r of Economy and Skills at Oldham Council in Greater Manchester, will join Wakefield Council on PMG has previously won the IPIA’s 5 September. He replaces ‘Print Management Company of the Year’ Andrew Wallhead who has three years consecutively and has taken up a new post at WDH. steadily grown over the last 14 years to C o m m e n t i n g o n h i s be one of the UK’s leading independent appointment, the Leader print management companies. of Wakefield Council, Cllr

but not limited to those on the road, in the work place and those involving public liability. Ra c h e l w i l l b e w o r k i n g alongside Natalie Marrison, Partner, who leads the Abuse, Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury teams and will provide service to the firm’s clients across all 14 of their

offices throughout Yorkshire. Commenting on the appointment Natalie said: “It has been fantastic to welcome Rachel. She has really bolstered our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence presence and has hit the ground running. She has brought a different dynamic to the service provided and we are excited about the opportunities that this will bring us.” Rachel added: “I am really pleased to have joined such a forward-thinking dynamic firm and department. I am already involved with lots of new opportunities and am very much looking forward to the future”

Peter Box CBE, said: “I am pleased to welcome Tom to Wakefield with a clear remit to build on the economic and regeneration success we have already achieved and help us to deliver further economic growth that is inclusive, benefits everyone who lives in the district and helps reduce poverty.” Wakefield Council’s Chief Executive, Merran McRae said: “I am very pleased to welcome Tom to our senior management team.”

Rare take on new recruit

Originally from London, Tom has lived and worked in the North of England for the last 11 years. He is married and a father of two, with a keen interest in sports including running, cycling, and hiking.

A Sheffield marketing agency has bolstered its team with the appointment of a Head of Client Services.

Tom said: “I am very excited joining Wakefield Council and being part of one of the fastest growing economies in the region, with an impressive cultural offer and a great reputation for regeneration.”

The appointment, made with the support of Yorkshire recruitme nt consultanc y Glu Recruit, sees Rare Creative Group welcome Shaun Radford to the team. He will head up and take direct

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Donna Blezzard has joined the firm as Business Development Executive in the sales team, and will be responsible for driving sales activity as well as building relationships with prospect companies. She has over 9 years’ sales and recruitment experience from her previous role at a national agency. Harry Chahal has been appointed as Business Development Executive for the firm’s Industrial team, after working for a leading medical recruiter in Milton Keynes. His role is to help with the firm’s increasing demand from the manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Appointments for recruitment specialist Huddersfield recruitment firm Stafflex has appointed two new starters as it continues to expand its team. responsibility for the agency’s existing client-facing team. The appointment comes following a sustained period of growth for the marketing firm which, over the last four years, has doubled its headcount - going from 12 employees to 24. Chris Bellingham, Director at Rare Creative Group said: “We’ve recently expanded our portfolio with a number of new client wins. We needed a senior member of staff to lead the client services team and provide strategic input to major client accounts. “We’re delighted to welcome Shaun to the team. He will be providing valuable leadership as we look to develop the both our traditional and digital marketing arms, with the aim of growing the business by a further 50% in the next three years.”

Brian Stahelin, Managing Director said: “I am very pleased to welcome Harry and Donna to Stafflex. They both bring valuable skills and experience to the team which will strengthen our service offering to existing clients as well as allowing us to focus on new business opportunities.”

Key appointments for Chartered surveying firm while Walter Mashumba has joined as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. John Clay, an experienced Building Surveyor has also joined the firm. He will complete his Assessment of Professional Competence with Lucas Lee this summer.

One of Yorkshire's leading Chartered surveying and project management firms has made a number of key appointments. Lucas Lee has taken on three new members of staff, boosting the firm's headcount to nine. Joining the quantity surveying team, is Lee Thompson, who has formerly worked on five-star hotel projects in Cape Verde. He has been appointed as a Senior Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor,

Commenting on the appointments, Lucas Lee's Director Christopher Lee said: "Our recent phase of expansion makes it an exciting new chapter for the business. We have spent many months recruiting new members for our experienced team to deliver the specific needs of our clients. We wanted to take on people who are able to bring their own expertise and ideas, but will also grow alongside the company, and we think that's what we've achieved.” The firm is now on the lookout for a tenth member of staff. The newly created position is for a Senior Building Surveyor to be based in Leeds.

Appointments for Avant Homes Yorkshire homebuilder Avant Homes has further enhanced its customer service operations in the region with the appointment of three new customer service technicians. Matthew Bright, Craig Hackett and Paul Whitfield each bring a wealth of experience in customer service roles to Avant Homes and will operate across all of the homebuilder’s developments in Yorkshire, which stretch from Stamford Bridge near York to Sheffield in the south of the region. Avant Homes has also added a new fleet of branded vans to its operations to enable the technicians to provide a fast, efficient and joined-up approach to customer service. Victoria Eades, customer service manager at, said: “We have ambitious growth plans for the business which involve increasing the number of developments and homes we build in the region, bringing our product to more people. Our commitment to customer satisfaction is crucial to this growth. “These new appointments have expanded our customer service team in Yorkshire and will further enhance the level of service we can provide to customers throughout the region. The technicians and additional vehicles will take our customer service to the next level and ensure all our homebuyers enjoy an excellent experience with us.”

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It’s such an exciting time to be joining Leeds Bradford, we have a brand new owner, a new Board of Directors and the whole airport has been re-branded as ‘Yorkshire’s airport’...

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High flyer joins LBA board John Cunliffe left Nottingham Trent University with a degree in business and financial services, he secured a position with The Walt Disney Company in their procurement department where he had been awarded a placement whilst studying at university. After two years he moved from his position of Procurement Executive to Sourcing Specialist, still with Walt Disney, but John had always wanted to work in aviation, so was thrilled when he was offered a role with British Airways as Procurement Executive. “I was responsible for an important part of the IT category, leading that procurement across both capital and operational IT purchases” Another move followed from Heathrow to Luton when John joined easyJet in 2009. “I received a call from a consultant telling me about a growing airline based in Luton, that was young, dynamic and had some great ideas. It sounded very exciting and I instantly fell in love with the place. I spent five years at easyJet firstly as Procurement Manager then taking a promotion to European Procurement Manager. “The role was very dynamic, I held direct budget accountability for a major portfolio of airport and ground handling spend, I was responsible for the cost base of ca 80 aircraft across the UK, Benelux, Switzerland and a series of smaller outstations” However, the lure of travel once again pulled at John, who has flown more than 1000 times he estimates, this time moving to Emirates and living in Dubai. “My wife Miriam and I spent two great years in Dubai, in fact our son Zach was born there. I took up a senior management role in the Emirates

procurement team, holding the budget responsibility across more than 30 airports in Europe and Russia covering a major portfolio of contracts” After two years, it was time to head back home to the UK and after a short period as a stay at home dad, John rejoined easyJet as Senior Manager, Airport Development, where he spent two more years in a commercial role responsible for a budget of close to half a billion pounds. “We had just ca 150 aircraft when I joined in 2009, but had close to 300 when I left, it was a fantastic experience to work in easyJet for 7 years, but it was time for a new challenge” That ambition fuelled John for his latest move, joining the board as Commercial Director at Leeds Bradford Airport in May this year. “The week of the move was crazy, our

daughter Ellie was born on the Monday and we moved to Leeds on the Friday” laughed John. “It’s such an exciting time to be joining Leeds Bradford, we have a brand new owner, a new Board of Directors and the whole airport has been re-branded as ‘Yorkshire’s airport’. As part of the recent celebrations, we also showcased the first part of terminal redevelopments, including new purpose built lounges, featuring stunning floor to ceiling runway views. The Yorkshire Lounge, the White Rose Suite and 1432 Club will replace the current Yorkshire Premier Lounge. “The unveiling of these lounges follows the opening of our brand new Cabin Bar and Beer House while the Saltaire bar & restaurant has been completely overhauled,” added John. “Work is also underway on the front of the terminal building to help improve passengers arrival at the airport with a new meet and greet car park facility and in June we will unveil a new Starbucks unit in the terminal”. “I am hugely excited about the potential of Leeds Bradford”, said Yorkshireman John (a Barnsley native), “the populations of Leeds and Bradford combined is close 1.25m people, that gives us the platform to create an airport that Yorkshire can be proud of, with the right choice of air services for our catchment and an improved customer experience” John’s day to day role will be varied as he is responsible for non-aviation revenue generated from retail, food & beverage, lounges, advertising and car parking. “I’ve only been in post a few weeks but already I am loving the vibrant atmosphere and working alongside such a dedicated team. We have lots more to do and I can’t wait to get cracking”

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Business Technology Forum attracts record numbers Yorkshire’s fastest growing technology event, the Business Technology Forum, is going from strength to strength. Record numbers attended this year’s oneday expo at The Village Hotel, Leeds, to attend educational seminars and practical demonstrations from global technology providers on the theme of ‘digital innovation for the future workplace’. The event, now in its fifth year, is organised by NGC Networks along with fellow technology providers Blue Logic and Ben Johnson. This year’s keynote speaker was ethical hacker Jamie Woodruff, who is employed by top global brands to expose their security weaknesses. He warned delegates that employees are just as susceptible to hacking as computers, arguing that

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companies should be aware of the threat of social engineering – where hackers manipulate individuals’ behaviour to gain information. He outlined various tactics that he has used to carry out an ethical penetration test. In one case, he watched the comings and goings of people at an organisation over a period of months. He observed how, every Friday, a pizza delivery driver would arrive at the office and be granted access through security. Woodruff got a job at the pizza shop and was subsequently able to make the delivery and access the interior of the building. His destination was the server room. A security keypad only held him up momentarily as he used a UV spray to discover which buttons had been pressed. Business Technology Forum attendees included IT and ICT professionals, finance and commercial managers and directors, procurement specialists and business owners from across the North of England. Guests received advice tailored to their business needs and were able to sample the latest technology through practical demonstrations in the exhibition hall.

TE LECOM

UPDATE

Brands on show included Microsoft, Avaya, Canon, Gamma, IBM Security, Sage and Objectif Lune. NGC Networks director Nikki Guest said: “Jamie’s keynote address was the perfect way to kick-start our best Business Technology Forum yet – and he certainly provided plenty of talking points for guests! “We hope that attendees gained fresh insights into the latest technological advances and took home some tips on how technology can make their business more agile and competitive.” Keep an eye out for news about the Business Technology Forum 2019 at http://www.businesstechforum.co.uk/

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Thinking of expanding? See how we measure up. One of the Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading privately owned Commercial and Industrial property providers. A family business you can trust. Exceptional portfolio across 9 sites, Towndoor has over 85 units to let ranging from 300 to 45,000 sq.ft. Warehouses, lock-ups, trade counters, luxury offices and storage space. Flexible deals offered. Our tailored no fuss approach means we can offer you the perfect property deal.

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SPECI AL

F E ATURE

Having seen his Shirt-making factory crumble at the hands of the Nazi war machine, Isaac was keen to start again. He found help from a Mr Frank Myers, also a refugee who had made and sold men’s shirts in Berlin. Meeting through mutual adverts placed in the press, the pair resolved to start a company. They sought help from the ministry of Labour and were awarded a permit to open a factory to make and sell men’s shirts in an area that badly needed employment. Of the areas suggested, Wakefield was chosen on the toss of a coin, rumoured to be Isaac’s last! The Refugee’s and their families arrived at Westgate station to be met on the platform by the Manager of the Labour Exchange, the Midland Bank Manager and a business angel. The company began trading shortly afterwards, finding initially just one small room in premises on Kirkgate in Wakefield City Centre.

Company arrives in Wakefield on the toss of a coin The story of the Wakefield Shirt Company and the brand Double TWO begins in 1940, as Isaac Donner and his wife fled Hitler occupied Vienna and arrived in London.

The war years were a tough time to start a business however. With a shortage in cotton, the company resorted to using a viscose rayon material, which was much more delicate and more suited to women’s blouses. With more women going to work while the men were fighting on the frontline, this seemed a very logical solution. By 1946 the company had taken over the whole building, transforming the space into a vast shirt manufacturing facility. Having identified that the majority of men returning from the war had become accustomed to wearing loose-collar shirts rather than a stiff collar which would begin to look worn, Isaac Donner introduced a patent that his family had developed prior to the war, changing the shirt industry forever. The patented shirts were designed in a way that the collars could be easily removed by pulling on a tab sewn into the collar attaching seam. Each shirt came supplied with a complimentary replacement collar which could easily be sewn into the place of the removed collar. The new product was an instant success and as the shirts had two collars and in some cases two sets of cuffs, the shirts were

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called Double TWO shirts. The innovation became so successful that the company came to be known by the name of the shirts! At the beginning of the 1950s Double TWO teamed up with ICI representative, Dr Rex Winfield, who had spent his time during the war developing a new manmade fibre, Terylene, which would eventually become known as Polyester. Working with Dr Winfield, they developed the fibre and produced the world’s first manmade fibre shirt. In 1952, Double TWO moved to a new site on the banks of the River Calder, and in a pioneering move they developed a new singlestorey factory. Before then, clothing factories had always been multistorey buildings with part-made garments flowing down chutes to each manufacturing level. The latest machinery was brought over from America. This enabled workers, paid per piece produced, to earn more than double their previous earnings!

after just in six months White Light had become the brand leader. It is said that the resin made the shirts so bright that machinists wore sunglasses to work on them! In 1968, Richard Donner and his father looked to expand the business even further. They were already good friends with the Sugden family, owners of the Barnsley based Wm Sugden and Sons. A successful and mutually beneficial partnership soon grew, which took Double TWO into a whole new area of the clothing market. Sugdens were a key manufacturer of workwear. With the textile technology behind the shirts in Double TWO’s range, they were a welcome addition to the Sugdens corporate armour. Another product developed by Sugdens was Jet Jeans. With Double TWO’s national advertising campaigns, Jet Jeans became a key brand in the jeans market throughout the 70’s and 80’s.

A shirt blending natural and man- By 1993 the independent clothing made fibres was introduced soon shop and e ve n the smalle r after. In those days, when central department store groups that heating wasn’t widely available, had formed the bulk of Double these warm shirts were big TWO’s customer base, had started sellers. By now Double TWO was to decline under the onslaught of employing over 500 people and ‘own label chains’ such as Next, producing 800,000 shirts per year Marks & Spencer and The Arcadia Group. from their Wakefield base. In 1963 Isaac Donner’s son, Richard, In response Isaac and Richard joined the business. Continuing D o n n e r p l a n n e d to l a u n c h to innovate, in 1965, Double TWO their own retail chain. Earlier launched a new product called experiments on the High Street had White Light. It was a cotton shirt, proved unprofitable, but a highly with a percentage of polyester successful American retail concept blended into the fabric for the was just getting started in the UK. collars and cuffs to give them extra strength. The fabric was The success of the Freeport treated with a special resin to give ‘Brands For Less’ concept in the it superb non-iron properties and USA led us to join Sean Collidge,

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in launching the innovation in the UK. We opened stores at all 6 of his ‘Freeport’ sites. Along with our own products, we added suitable concession brands and soon developed our retail footprint to 23 stores nationwide, supported by a large number of concessions in mill shops and department stores.

By now Double TWO was employing over 500 people and producing 800,000 shirts per year

In 1994, we were also approached by David Gummery and Chris Lockwood with the idea of developing mini clothing department stores, on an outlet basis but not necessarily on outlet sites. With garden centres and entertainment parks proving to be the most robust locations, ‘Leading Labels Limited’ was formed in partnership with ‘The Wakefield Shirt Company’ with Double TWO shirts becoming a key product. In 1995, Richard Donner’s son,

50’s 60’s Production

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John Donner joined his father and grandfather to take the family run business into its 3rd generation. Isaac Donner died in 2000 at the age of 96. He was an active part of the business right up until his death. The company continues to innovate, winning an award in 2007, for ‘Paradigm’, a 100% cotton shirt that’s with unrivalled noniron and wrinkle free properties. This was followed in 2013 with the Queen’s Award for International Trade, in recognition of over 42% of production being exported to over 40 countries around the world. And most recently, Double TWO launched their product in India, with a store in Bangalore now offering Double TWO Shirts and their casual wear label, Bar Harbour, to a new market! To this day Richard and John Donner continue to run the company, making Double TWO one of the very few original family run branded clothing companies in the world! Whilst Double TWO Shirts are now manufactured abroad, the design and innovation happens in Wakefield, where it all began 78 years ago!

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GDPR: Data protection overhall hits small businesses Stafflex Recruitment News update

Every month, our experts comment on the biggest and most interesting recruitment news across the country. In this edition, Business Development Executive, Donna Blezzard, looks at how the new data protection laws are causing confusion amongst small businesses as well as news that 1,600 IT workers and engineers were denied UK visas after being offered jobs.

The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is causing confusion amongst small businesses. It will be the biggest shake-up to data privacy in the last 20 years, aiming to tighten up how companies gather and use data. A UK survey of 906 firms by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found only 8% had completed their preparations. Many small business heavily rely on contacting customers via email and feel that there has been a lack of clarity with many experts disagreeing on GDPR best practice. Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has put some minds at rest by stating that businesses will ”need time before they are fully compliant” suggesting that the government will be fairly

RECRUITME NT

UPDATE

lenient for a period of time before they start to clamp down on non-compliant businesses.

1,600 IT workers and engineers denied UK visas

The BBC has reported that more than 1,600 IT specialists and engineers offered jobs in the UK were denied visas between December and March. They were denied because the number applying exceeded the monthly limit allowed to enter the UK but critics argue that this kind of policy doesn’t help the government, employers or the public. If we are to further develop our high tech economy then it is vital that the government finds a balance between allowing skilled overseas workers into the UK and also ensuring that the British public are given a fair opportunity to apply and fill the roles.

West Yorkshire’s largest independent recruitment specialists

Call us on

01484 35 10 10 Connect with us ! linkedin.com/company/stafflex-limited www.facebook.com/stafflexjobs @Stafflexjobs www.stafflex.co.uk

Leaflet distribution firm affiliates with Royal Mail Leaflet distribution firm, Mr Flyer has become one of only 19 Royal Mail affiliates in the UK. The prestigious affiliate scheme, run by Royal Mail, is an exclusive cohort of major marketing agencies, consultants, printers and distribution houses across the UK. Each successful affiliate has undergone a rigorous application and due diligence process. By being part of the scheme, each affiliate can benefit from UK wide door-to-door distribution and have access to intelligent location based data. As a result of the new partnership, Huddersfield based Mr Flyer has been able to further extend their door-todoor delivery service on a national scale, widening the scope for further growth of the business. Andrew Robinson, Managing Director at Mr Flyer commented: “I am absolutely delighted that we’ve been successfully

accepted in the Royal Mail Affiliates Scheme. We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to improve our business in order to offer the best possible service to all our customers.” He added: ”As a result of this partnership, it has allowed us to further extend our reach and cater for clients who want leaflet marketing in locations throughout the UK. It’s refreshing to finally be able to cater for enquiries that come from all over the country.” Huddersfield based Mr Flyer has been established since 2011 offering leaflet distribution, print, design and more recently, direct mail, consistently experiencing year-on-year growth to now employ 30 people. The firm hopes that with this recent addition, it will create further employment opportunities. 01484 598555 andrew@mrflyer.co.uk

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When baby boomers, generation X and millennials collide

By Andy Turner Managing Director - First Choice Recruitment

someone doesn’t know what social media is, it doesn’t mean they aren’t good at their job. They will have other skills to offer and visa versa.

here are many things to consider when you are making appointments to a team; suitability for the role, previous experience, personality and qualifications but there are some nuances that can be overlooked such as compatibility with others in the office and generational gaps.

Business owners have a lot to think about but those that have managed to create a culture that encourages people to appreciate and respect the fact that everyone will work differently are likely to be those that also thrive and become the employers of choice for the talent of generations yet to come.

Appreciate that people’s expectations and the reasons for them working will differ and that this may impact on the way that they work. It may seem that one is more committed than another but that should be judged on outputs and results, not on what they time they come in or leave the office.

This isn’t about culture but more about how an individual will adapt when working with people that have different life experiences, ways of working and communication skills. We’ve noticed that with people living longer they also choose to work longer too. As such, you can find an office that has three generations working in a single team.

For employers that may be faced with a clash of cultures due to generational differences then there are five simple steps that they could consider reducing any probable tensions in the office:

Create a skills swap which will allow employees to teach each other news ways of working and communicating. Indifference can come from fear of the unknown but if people have a chance to learn and to upskill then it may be surprising who takes up the opportunity and how it impacts on their work.

With this comes huge benefits, not least the knowledge and experience that can be shared but also the insight into new ways of working or emerging technologies and communication techniques. Social media being a classic example.

Create opportunities for employees to work together to break down barriers and start to get to know each other better. Where possible invest in some teamworking so that they can understand more about why a person approaches a task the way they do. Encourage employees to respect each other and their differences. Just because

Lead by example. If you are able to identify people’s strengths and weaknesses then you can also use this to your advantage. This could be the difference between a productive workforce and a dysfunctional collective of colleagues.

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CORPORATE

SOCI AL

RE SPONSIBILIT Y

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personal involvement with the charity and bringing this passion into the workplace.

Remarketing Leeds-based G3 Remarketing is a car auction specialist in independant online and physical sales. The firm remarkets vehicles direct from fleet companies, finance houses and dealerships.

Why is CSR important to the way you run your company?

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support people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

In 2010 my father passed away there. This first-hand experience highlighted how much the hospice helps both the families affected and the community around them. As well as this, the money that is raised goes straight into maintaining and supporting the facility – not towards marketing budgets and executives’ wages – which is why we will always support them, however we can.

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It is also a good idea to speak directly with a facility to see exactly what it is they would most benefit from, and how your funds would be used.

Q: How do you decide how much time per week/month/ year your business dedicates to CSR activity? This is something we haven’t specifically allocated slots of time for to date – we simply try and support the charity as and when we can!

Q:How do you gain the buy in of your team and get them involved in CSR activities?

One year later and this I began sponsorship has meant that I began fundraising for the fundraising for extra funds have become charity in 2010 outside of the charity in available elsewhere, allowing work, running four marathons 2010 outside of the nurses to care for more – including London and New work, running people with complex conditions. York – and an ultra-marathon! four marathons – They have begun replacing However, I wanted to do more including London all 13 beds with new low-rise, and get G3 involved. It didn’t and New York... automatic turner ones, giving take much persuasion to get the patients more freedom to everyone onboard and our ‘local’ move around their room, as CSR focus meant they were well as further reducing the even more determined to help. Q: To date, how has your number of falls. In addition to The whole team even came CSR activity helped your this, senior nurse Mandy has up with the idea of donating a c o m p a n y to e x p a n d i t s been able to access training in percentage of profit from every business networks? Q: What is the latest CSR ‘Palliative Care Concepts and vehicle we sold! Donating funds to a local project/fundraiser you are Practise’, which has developed working on and what do you both he r and the team’s Q: If another company asked hospice and sponsoring a nurse knowledge on how illnesses you how to go about starting has undoubtedly proven to be hope to achieve? can impact holistic needs. or increasing their CSR helpful for getting the word out It is now a year since we It was fantastic to see how activity, what would you say? there about what we do. I have even been invited to numerous decided to sponsor a nurse at our funds have supported the The Prince of Wales Hospice, hospice and we are looking I would definitely advise Business Club meetings and and we are taking the time forward to seeing what more looking for local opportunities hospice events, which has allowed to reflect on what this great can be done. and ones that align with your me to network with likeminded organisation has managed to company values. Listen to your business people from the region. do with our donation. In May Q: How do you decide what team to see if there are any But more importantly, supporting 2017 we decided to cover the causes to support? causes that they are particularly this worthwhile cause says a lot cost of employing a nurse for passionate about – a personal about the type of company we are one year. We hoped that our So far we have only supported link or connection to a charity – people really value organisations £40,000 donation would go The Prince of Wales Hospice, is always a great place to start who prove that they care about some way to helping the hospice which is mostly due to my own when deciding who to support. wider causes. Within our team we have worked hard to create an integral culture around CSR – it’s never a side thought. This is why we have chosen to support The Prince of Wales Hospice for many years, and incorporate our fundraising into the everyday life of G3. Having everyone involved and passionate about giving back is also fantastic for building strong relationships within our team.

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Mythbusting Guide to Fostering a series of background checks that are unbiased to gender, race or sexuality to ensure the right child in paired with the right foster parent. People – adults and children – are a diverse bunch and the world is a better place for it. Family structures, we believe, need to reflect this diversity in order to provide the best support to children and young people. #Myth2 Foster families have to be a mum, dad and children There are many fostering myths around – from the type of person who can foster, to how a child is chosen to be placed in a family. Most are based on tabloid coverage of individual cases. #Myth1 Gay people can’t foster At Fostering to Inspire we conduct

All applications are welcome who can provide a safe and secure home environment and the emotional support to guide children and young people as they grow up and into adulthood. We recognise that the ability to provide a loving, family environment is not governed by ‘traditional’ family structures.

Instead, we believe that at the heart of a caring, supportive home is the simple desire and capacity to offer love, support, compassion and understanding. #Myth3 Foster carers are left to get on with it We are committed to supporting and encouraging our fostered children and young people so they can recover from past trauma and abuse. At the same time, we are committed to supporting our foster carers so that they can provide safe and nurturing homes. Fostering a child will be life changing both for you and the child. You will learn as much about yourself and the important things in life as the child in your care will learn from you.

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fosteringtoinspire.co.uk Part of Prospects Services. Registered in England & Wales. Registered company number: 3042176. Registered office: 1 Red Hall Court, Wakefield, WF1 2UN

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WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS

From moving home to claiming an inheritance, debt to divorce, injuries resulting from accidents and medical negligence, we are on hand to help and make sure that the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Dispute Resolution

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Wills & Probate

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LEG AL

What is a Power of Attorney? It’s a legal document that allows someone to make decisions for you or act on your behalf. It can be useful if you’re no longer able to or if you no longer want to make your own decisions.

M AT TE R S

These could be decisions about: finances - paying your mortgage, investing your savings or buying items you need. health and care - what you should eat, or what type of medical treatment you should have.

The Benefits of Having an Attorney Provides the ability to choose who will make decisions for you (rather than a court). If someone has signed a power of attorney and later becomes incapacitated, one of the attorneys named can step into the shoes of the incapacitated person and make important financial decisions/ health care decisions. Without a power of attorney, a guardianship or conservatorship may need to be established- this can be very expensive.

There are a number of reasons why you might need someone to make decisions for you or act on your behalf:

understand the decision you need to make, why you need to make it, and the likely outcome of your decision.

This could just be a temporary situation: for example, if you are in hospital and need help with everyday things such as making sure bills are paid.

Some people will be able to make decisions about some things but not others. Alternatively, their ability to make decisions may change from day to day.

Alternatively, you may need to make longer-term plans if, for example, you have been diagnosed with dementia and you may lose the mental capacity to make your own decisions in the future.

Needing more time to understand/ communicate doesn’t mean an individual lacks mental capacity. For example, having dementia does not necessarily mean that someone is unable to make any decisions for themselves.

Mental Capacity Each issue Chadwick Lawrence, Yorkshire’s Legal People, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law.

Mental capacity is the ability to make/communicate specific decisions at the time they need to be made. To have mental capacity you must

However, if there does come a time when one is unable to make their own decisions, you will have lost mental capacity and someone else may need to make decisions for you.

Avoids the necessity of a guardianship or conservatorship. Someone who does not have a comprehensive power of attorney at the time they become incapacitated would have no alternative than to have someone else petition the court to appoint a guardian or conservator. The court will choose who is appointed to manage the financial and/or health affairs of the incapacitated person, and the court will continue to monitor the situation as long as the incapacitated person is alive. While not only a costly process, another detriment is the fact that the incapacitated person has no input on who will be appointed to serve. Provides family members a good opportunity to discuss wishes and desires.

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There is much deliberation that goes into the creation of a comprehensive power of attorney. One of the most important decisions is who will serve as an attorney. When a donor makes the decision to sign a power of attorney, it is a good opportunity for them to discuss wishes and expectations with the family and, in particular, the people named as attorneys. The more comprehensive the power of attorney, the better. As people age, their needs change and their power of attorney should reflect that. Seniors have concerns about long term care, applying for government benefits to pay for care, as well as choosing the proper care providers. Without allowing the attorney to perform these tasks and more, time and money can be wasted. Prevents questions about donor’s intent. A well-drafted power of attorney, along with other health care directives, can eliminate the need for family members to argue or disagree over a loved one’s wishes. Once written down, this document is definite evidence of their intent and is difficult to dispute. Protects the attorney from claims of financial abuse. Comprehensive powers of attorney often allow the attorneys to make substantial gifts to self or others in order to carry out asset protection planning objectives. Without the power of attorney authorizing this, the attorney (often a family member) could be at risk for financial abuse allegations Provides peace of mind for everyone involved. Taking the time to sign a power of attorney lessens the burden on family members who would otherwise have to go to court to get authority for performing basic tasks, like writing a cheque or arranging for home health services. Knowing this has been taken care of in advance is of great comfort to families, so they can tend primarily to the donors needs.

The Case for No-Fault Divorce There has been a great deal of press coverage of the ongoing ordeal faced by Mrs Tini Owens in securing a divorce from her husband, Hugh, who is contesting this. Mr and Mrs Owens married in 1978 but have lived separately since 2015. Mrs Owens’ petition references her husband’s unreasonable behaviour but so far she has failed to convince two courts that she cannot be reasonably expected to live with him as a result of his behaviour. The case went to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK, on 17th May and the judgement is awaited at the time of preparing this article. Mrs Owens’ case is that she should not have to prove her husband’s unreasonably behaviour. The case has caught the attention of both family lawyers and the public alike because it is so unusual. Currently, the law states that people wishing to immediately divorce must rely on one of two facts, either, that their spouse has committed adultery or they have behaved unreasonably. A further option is for both parties to consent to a divorce on the basis that

they have been separated for a period of at least two years. Two years of desertion by one party remains an option but this is very rarely used. If none of the above are available then there must be a separation of at least 5 years. The recent Owens case has reinvigorated the campaign for the concept of a nofault divorce. The fact is that requiring someone to set out allegations against the other increases unnecessary conflict which in the many cases can influence the way the entire case is dealt with. Far from encouraging amicable relations, parties are immediately set against one another from the outset. There is a genuine need to remove the requirement of blame in many cases. To reduce the conflict this causes would undoubtedly create a more positive atmosphere in which to resolve other issues such as the care of the children and the couple’s finances. The Chadwick Lawrence family law team support the ongoing campaign for no-fault divorce and we have written to our local MPs to raise the issue and seek support. Sarah Power, Head of the Family Team at Chadwick Lawrence commented “to bring in a system of no-fault divorce would quite rightly allow couples to focus on the more important issues which need resolving such as the pattern of care for any children or how they are going to share the assets rather than focussing unnecessarily on the reasons that the marriage has broken down. To be forced to attribute blame can often be a painful and demeaning process which detracts from the bigger picture.”

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FOOD

DRIN K

With Cream on Top: Wakefield Civic Society President Kevin Trickett MBE takes afternoon tea at Wakefield café Mocca Moocho There’s something quintessentially British about the idea of ‘afternoon tea’. It conjures up images of delicate finger sandwiches, fancy cakes and scones with jam and cream, all served on fine chinaware in a lovely sunny setting on a summer’s day or cosily by the fireside in the deep of winter:

Kevin and his partner dined as guests of

Mocca Moocho

10 Cross Square, Wakefield, WF1 1PH. Twitter: @MoccaMoocho Tel. 01924 361755 Facebook: www.facebook. com/moccamoocho/ Follow Kevin on Twitter @MrTrickett

lashings of hot tea, the chink of cup against saucer and the sound of sparkling conversation. Historically, our notions of afternoon tea can be traced back to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford who is reputed to have started the trend back in 1840. Apparently, she felt a bit peckish one afternoon and asked her staff to bring her something light to eat with a pot of tea. This became a habit and she started inviting friends in to join her. (In those days, dinner at the finest houses was served around 8 pm, so they needed something in between lunch and dinner). Before you could say ‘cream scone’, the habit had become a tradition – and a fashionable one at that. By the 1880s, the refined ladies and gentlemen of high society were dressing in their elegant clothes to share tea, sandwiches and cakes at formal afternoon teas served at around four o’clock each day. Now, of course, most of us are too

busy to take a formal afternoon tea every day so the words ‘afternoon tea’ have become synonymous with refinement and elegance and perhaps most of all they hint hint at something that’s a touch special. The best china, the tiered cake stands and the fanciest of cakes are brought together to create a moment of calm when friends and family can indulge

a love of cake while catching up with each other on their latest news. Eye Watering There’s an afternoon tea for every budget and, however mouth-watering the food, some of the prices charged by the poshest hotels can perhaps best be described as, well, eye-

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watering! But, ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a quality afternoon tea! I’ve found somewhere where it’s possible to sample some delightful sandwiches, some delicious cakes and the fruitiest of scones, all served with tea or coffee, for under £10! Where, I hear you ask, is such incredible value available? Dream Well, right in the centre of Wakefield is the answer. Yes, at the long-established and well-known café Mocca Moocho, it’s possible to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea for just £9.95 per person. If you want to add a bit of fizz, and you can afford it at these prices, you can spoil yourself with a glass of sparkling Rosé wine for just £5 extra – and what a treat you will have! My partner and I enjoyed such a treat

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I’ve found somewhere where it’s possible to sample some delightful sandwiches, some delicious cakes and the fruitiest of scones, all served with tea or coffee, for under £10! and Jamie running August Day in the Ridings Centre and before that when they ran Colonel Mustard in Wood Street. Altogether, they’ve been part of the Wakefield catering scene for some 30 years but they first came together a couple of years before that while working for a large national retailer, something they’d been doing for many

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coffee and a chat with colleagues, shoppers resting their feet and their bags over a cuppa, and visitors to the city perhaps having a breather from sight-seeing. Whether you’re looking for breakfast or lunch, or just a coffee and a bun, there’s plenty of seating in the café – there’s a large upstairs space as well as the seating on the ground floor, and, of course, you can sit out front where you can people watch from under the awning. Whether you’re there to chat or to work, there’s free wi-fi available. Should you venture upstairs, look out for Jamie’s bookshelves from which he offers second-hand books for sale from his personal collection of hand-bound Folio Society editions. The café is open from 8 am until 4.30 pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 9 am until 4 pm on Sundays. Group bookings are possible, both during opening hours and for special events outside these times – just get in touch to enquire. Enjoyable

one afternoon in early May when we called in to see proprietors Mags and Jamie Blackshaw who opened the business some ten years ago (they won a Wakefield Civic Society Design Award back in 2009 for their premises) and now employ 15 staff, a number that goes up to around 20 during the summer months to meet the extra demand. Mocca Moocho afternoon tea

Some readers may remember Mags

years. They discovered a shared a dream of running a business of their own. Mags took a catering management degree course to prepare and they found their niche in Wakefield in the coffee and café trade. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, their fully licensed café in Cross Square is a hive of activity with business people dropping in for a

So, what was out afternoon tea like? Well, it was, of course, truly scrumptious. We were there as guests of Mags and Jamie but as it was part of a personal celebration too, we just had to have that glass of Rosé to get things started. Yes, we had the tiered cake stands, which always add a touch of style, and, believe me, they came fully laden! In fact, we were defeated and ended up asking for the proverbial doggie bag to take some of the cakes home with us for later. All in all, it was a very enjoyable afternoon and I think the Mocca Moocho afternoon tea must be one of the best-value treats in Wakefield! If you fancy experiencing a Mocca Moocho afternoon tea for yourself, please note that you will usually need to book at least 2 days in advance. You can do this by telephone or via the café’s Facebook page.

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LEG AL

M AT TE R S

How are building societies making borrowing easier for older people?

Karen James, Head of Conveyancing at Ramsdens

There has been great movement for first time buyers especially the recent changes to the Stamp Duty Land Tax payable however we have noticed that there have also been changes with some lenders’ attitudes to lending to people over 60 years old. There are many reasons someone might be thinking of buying a property or re-mortgaging in their later years, whether it’s to get a better deal on their current home, especially if a fixed rate has ended or they’ve simply decided to downsize; but until recently, obtaining a mortgage over the age of 60 has often been a difficult, if not an impossible process, without resorting to equity release schemes.

Each issue Ramsdens Solicitors, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law.

Ramsdens Solicitors

As the age of retirement increases decisions, flexibility in lending is and with longer life expectancies, greatly welcomed. many lenders are revisiting their lending criteria for the over 60s. K a r e n J a m e s , H e a d o f Organisations such as National Conveyancing at Ramsdens states: Counties, Bath Building Society, “We have already seen the effect the Mansfield Building Society and an aging population has had on Metro Bank all have no maximum the property market. 60 is the new age cap, and have now paved the 40 and many people are having way for some of the major lenders to work much longer than they to follow suit. Halifax, for example, ever anticipated, older people has increased its maximum age of aren’t considering downsizing potential borrowers to 80, whilst until well into their eighties – this the Nationwide has increased their results in a shortage of family mortgage maturity age from 75 to sized properties coming into 85, in a move designed to bring the available housing stock. We more flexibility and choice to older have noticed an increase in ‘family purchases’ and transfers as adult borrowers. children continue to live at home With cultural trends shifting and but share the cost of mortgage more people in their 50s and 60s repayments by having their names still looking to make life changing added to the title.”

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seem that they have things on their mind that they do not wish to share. •

the person may make excuses not to socialise or go out without the person subjecting them to abuse.

•

They may also cancel plans at the last minute.

•

the person may seem to be struggling financially all of a sudden if their financial situation is being controlled.

•

Helen Thewlis, Head of Family at Ramsdens

Domestic abuse effects both gender For every 3 victims of domestic abuse 2 will be women and 1 will be a man. Domestic abuse effects both genders. It also effects people from every kind of background and culture. Statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will suffer domestic abuse during their lifetime. Given these statistics, there is every chance that a friend or relative of your own could be suffering from domestic abuse. There are many ways in which you can support a friend or relative that is suffering from abuse and you can spot the signs. Signs to look out for in someone suffering domestic violence:•

•

any signs of unexplained injuries from physical harm such as, bruising, cuts or scrapes. the person may become withdrawn and

•

the person suffering the abuse may minimise the behaviour of the perpetrator particularly, if they are suffering from verbal and/or emotional abuse. the person may change their appearance, stop wearing certain clothes and/or wearing make-up etc. the person suffering the abuse may not attend work or they may be late for work on a regular basis. the victim may not go anywhere alone or travel alone, the perpetrator may insist on taking them wherever they may go.

This is not an exhaustive list and every person that suffers domestic abuse can react in different ways. Some victims may not wish to speak out and confide in their closest friends or family, others may provide only snippets of information but miss out serious or significant incidents. In many cases, the person suffering the abuse may have a lowered self-esteem as they are being subject to put downs and verbal abuse that is effecting their confidence and how they perceive themselves. Unfortunately, domestic abuse is much more common than people would wish to acknowledge and accept. As stated above, it can affect any person irrespective of their gender, sexuality and culture. Domestic abuse takes many forms. It can be physical, emotional, verbal, psychological,

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sexual or financial. It doesn’t matter what form of domestic abuse a person is being subjected to, it is wrong and they do not have to continue to be in a relationship where they are subject to abuse. There is a lot of help for victims of domestic abuse. Many charities provide support and can help with the various options available to the victim. It is also advisable for the person suffering domestic abuse to obtain legal advice from a family law Solicitor. In many cases immediate protection can be obtained for the victim and the family law Solicitor can advise on issues that may follow such as divorce, financial matters, matters concerning children of the parties and any Local Authority involvement. If you or anyone that you know is suffering from domestic abuse then do not suffer alone. Helen Thewlis, Head of Family at Ramsdens commented: “It can take a lot of courage for someone to speak out and seek help as they often fear the repercussions from the perpetrator however, having a friend or family member with them to provide additional emotional support can go a long way to helping them and ensuring that they know that they are not alone.”

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To learn more Tel: 07711 539047

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for all your legal needs call your local solicitors Ramsdens

with 12 offices across West Yorkshire weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never too far away #knowyourlawyer #askRamsdens

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01924 669510 www.ramsdens.co.uk

FO O D

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DR I NK

Happy summer time (finally) from all of us here at Create Café! The summer that we all thought may never come has finally arrived so we reckon it’s time to dust off the barbeque, wash the tongs and get cracking with some al fresco dining.

Topic Recipes

We’re not going to insult you by telling you how to cook the burgers and sausages (every man knows the perfect way to barbeque these) but we thought that you may like to try something just a little different so chuck the bangers back in the freezer and go Method buy a chicken. Not drumsticks either, a full chicken as we are going to tell Obviously the most important you how to spatchcock and cook the thing when cooking chicken is chicken whole. to ensure is completely cooked through. The best way to do this Couple this with the daddy of all on a barbeque is to spatchcock it. summer drinks – the raspberry This basically means you flatten champagne mojito, and you will the chicken as much as possible by be the barbeque champ for years removing the back bone and giving to come! the rest of the bird a good squash. MOROCCAN RUBBED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN & RICE SALAD

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Start by turning the chicken over so it is breast side down on a sturdy chopping board with the legs facing you.

With kitchen scissors cut up Full chicken, ideally medium or either side of the back bone and remove it. small 3 Tablespoons of cumin Pull the sides of the bird apart a 3 Tablespoons of coriander bit and turn over so the breasts are 1 Tablespoon of ginger facing upwards, then with the heel 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon of your hand flatten the breastbone 1 Tablespoon of paprika as much as you can so that the bird 1 Tablespoon of chilli powder is almost all the same thickness. 200g cooked basmati rice 1 Pomegranate Run two long skewers through the 1 Ripe avocado bird diagonally, trying to skewer Handful of dried apricots through the breast and thigh meat. Handful of raisins This will help to keep it all together Bunch of mint when cooking. 1 lemon Olive oil

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minutes or so. It will probably take a good 30-40 minutes at least. We would always recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is cooked all the way through. Insert the thermometer into the thickest parts of the chicken (breast and thigh) and ensure it is above 72°c. While the chicken is cooking you have time to prepare the salad. Just cut the pomegranate in half and remove the seeds, peel and dice the avocado, slice the apricots, and add all of these to the rice along with the raisins. Chop the mint and add this as well, then add the juice from the lemon, a couple of tablespoons of oil and mix thoroughly.

Mix the spices together with a couple of tablespoons of oil and rub into the meat all over. The more you rub it in the better it will taste! To cook, place on a medium hot barbeque, and keep turning every 5

To serve we would recommend spreading the rice salad out onto a chopping board and arranging the chicken on top to allow any juice to flow out onto the rice adding even more flavour. Then just place in the centre of the table and allow your guests to help themselves!

RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE (OR PROSECCO) MOJITO

Ingredients • • • • • •

50ml Golden rum (White is fine as well) 25ml Raspberry puree 25ml Sugar syrup 25ml Lime juice 12 Mint leaves Champagne or prosecco

Method Add the rum, puree, sugar syrup, lime juice and mint leaves to a large cocktail glass, give it all a really good stir then add a couple of ice cubes. Stir a little more, then fill the glass the rest of the way with ice. Give it one more stir then top it up with prosecco. Finish with a mint sprig and some fresh raspberries as garnish.

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Janet and Simon Baker opened the doors to Gimbals Restaurant in 1995 with the aim of bringing simple but

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sumptuous, seasonal food to the quaint Yorkshire village of Sowerby Bridge, and that remains their passion today.

Summer in the Valley

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Triple win for Ring Ring is celebrating its success after scoring a hat-trick of industry accolades at this year’s Auto Express Product Awards. The triple win, which includes one first place award and two commendations, has ‘rung up’ the company’s product award tally to over 170 accolades to date. Named the Product Award Winner 2018 in the Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge category, the Ring RTG4 Digital Tyre Gauge followed up on its Auto Express Best Buy win earlier in the year.

The cooking at Gimbals is modern yet rustic using wild, organic, locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, which adds a Yorkshire earthiness to the fayre. They create honest dishes, inspired by both classic and more unusual flavour combinations, brought together by the skills of their talented chefs. Janet has a flair for decor and her show stopping finds, such as an actual Blackpool illumination, help to create a seductively decadent restaurant atmosphere and a unique upstairs lounge area. Here one can enjoy artisan cocktails with friends, relax on a chesterfield with an aperitif or sink into a sofa with an after dinner coffee. Whatever the occasion, Gimbals promises to create a truly special evening for you. For those of you who would like to have a go at making the dish for yourself, we have listed the full recipe and all the ingredients you will need.

The gauge was the best of the eight tested, which were assessed on screen quality, accuracy on both alloy and steel wheels and duration of time the readings remained on the screen. As well as the product win, the Ring RIL3600HP MAGflex Twist LED Inspection Lamp and the RW1577 Xenon150 Headlight Bulbs were both awarded commendations for strong performances in their respective categories. Ring’s Head of Product Management, Simon Harvey, comments: “We are delighted to add a win to our already incredible list of awards. Auto Express tests over 230 products in a wide variety of categories so it’s fantastic news to scoop Product Award Winner 2018.” Photo by Ainis Jankauskas from Pexels

Illustration purposes only

“The award is an endorsement of the intuitive designs that we pride ourselves on. To be recognised by the UK’s Strawberry fields Forever Jinzu gin biggest-selling motoring weekly is simply • Gimbals strawberry gin This divine British gin with incredible.” • (Made from sweet alpine strawberries) a Japanese twist is featured • Fresh lime on our Gin list with hints of • Ginger beer cheery blossom and yuzu sake • Fresh ginger we are serving it with cherry • Peach schnapps bitters, drops of yuzu juice • Loaded with ice, crushed strawberries, and fever tree tonic loaded basil and a hint of black pepper. with ice.

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LOOKING TO FINANCE FOR JOBS & GROWTH?

EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES

Helping you take your business venture to epic heights!

THINK BIG… THINK AD:VENTURE Contact us NOW to register your interest Tel: 0845 524 0210 Email: support@ad-venture.org.uk Web: www.ad-venture.org.uk Providing funded support across the Leeds City Region (subject to eligibility checks and Business is under 3yrs Old)

*Subject to eligibility checks and Under 3yrs Old

Rob Moores, from social enterprise Growing Better, wouldn’t have been in the position he is today had it not been for the grants awarded by AD:VENTURE.

Grants are a great place to start when it comes to financing your business and for new and young businesses in the Leeds City Region, there is the opportunity to access up to £25,000 in growth grants. AD: VENTURE is working hard to dispel myths around grant funding to encourage more eligible start-ups and young enterprises to come forward and accelerate their growth by pitching for the cash. Having helped 70 businesses access £566,000 of grant funding and create 194 jobs, AD:VENTURE knows that grants are no more complicated than applying to any other financial lender; the added benefit is that you don’t have to pay a grant back! Recognising that simple steps can be taken to help secure vital grant funding, AD:VENTURE is offering eligible young and new businesses who have strong growth ambitions its ‘top tips’ to grant success. Get help and advice from AD:VENTURE advisors James Wilson Managing Director of Riverside Coatings, applied for a grant for £18,523.39, he comments: “When you start a business you don’t always have the time to sit down and go through your plans in any great detail and putting pen to paper can be a struggle – you simply feel you have biggerpriorities, like getting the work through the door. Looking back, if I hadn’t have gone through this process

Riverside Coatings, the Castleford based professional paint powder coating business, secured more than £18,000 thanks to AD:VENTURE’s startup and growth grants.

with AD:VENTURE, there’s no way I could have invested in the industrial sized machinery I needed. Start with a business plan AD:VENTURE provides practical support through a network of dedicated advisors who can provide guidance and signpost you to their schedule of master classes that applicants may want to attend in order to strengthen their applications. Think about how the grant can support jobs and growth! It’s important to evidence how a grant would be used to support the next steps in your business journey and what difference it would make to your future success.

Rob comments: “Accessing practical support from AD:VENTURE allowed us to build up our business plan and consider other options. We realised that we had the potential, with funding support, to commit to appointing three new members to the team in 2018.” Be clear on what the funds will be used for Grant programmes are aimed at helping companies invest in growth and cannot be used for general day-to-day running costs or overheads. To meet the eligibility criteria, businesses must make it clear what the funds will be used for, whether that is supporting an advertising campaign or investing in production equipment. Each grant application needs to be 50 per cent match-funded. This can come from a variety of finance options. Advisors can offer guidance on sourcing the right finance options. For further details about the AD:VENTURE Grant Programme, along with case studies of those that the initiative has already supported, please visit www. ad-venture.org.uk or call 0845 524 0210.

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Simplifying Communications Business Telephony Contact Centres Unified Communications Internet Connectivity Business Mobiles Managed Services

To arrange a free consultation please contact us on 0800 588 4003 or email enquiries@ngcnetworks.co.uk www.ngcnetworks.co.uk

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20/11/2017 09:29

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COMME RCI AL

Change Is the only constant Heraclitus of Ephesus told us that “change is the only constant”

Hanson Chartered Surveyors was established in October 1989, by Mark Hanson BSc FRICS to service the needs of clients expecting direct and uncomplicated advice. Hanson Chartered Surveyors is a Walker Singleton Group Company

Some things which seem permanent change imperceptively, other things change before our eyes but the phrase “change is the only constant” is the observation which is quickly followed by “adapt and survive” which is its consequence. Take the Piece Hall in Halifax. Opened on New Years Day 1779 and so named for merchants to display their cloth in the 315 rooms dedicated and designed for the purpose. Within 26 years it saw its first adaptation with a change to the way cloth was sold. A firework display took place in 1816, balloon ascent from the square in 1824 and concerts started in 1831. A colourful and even baleful period of hard use and in no small measure neglect followed with a risk of demolition in the mid 20th century but following its listing in 1972 £350,000 was raised for its renovation. It is so highly valued now

as being judged a world heritage site following further and more extensive renovation costing £19million in 2017 (it cost £8,400 to build). It has become a centrepiece of Halifax’s cultural and commercial centre being likened to any of the finest piazza’s in Italy. Yorkshire folk, in my experience, are conservative with a small “c”; they don’t like change but when it becomes necessary they are realistic and accept it being as it almost always is, for the greater good. The loss of our heavy woollen and large scale textile industries, the engineering which supported it and the mining industry too were all inevitable, in hindsight, if very painful but these losses too were for the greater long term good. Having seen change and progression in my own family I understand the benefits and sometimes necessity of change and are very happy to embrace it.

Why your business should be using video marketing If anything has come from this year’s tech and app advancements, it’s the integration of video content into the wider marketing strategy for brands and businesses. Personality Video has the ability to inspire emotion, giving consumers the opportunity to relate and connect with a brand. Consider video as the window to your business, allowing customers to see who you are and what you stand for.

Social Media Video has a huge impact on social media, as let’s be very honest, it can engage even the laziest of users. Create videos that are genuinely entertaining - whether they’re funny, visually impressive or thought provoking. Demonstration You’ll be able to demonstrate functionality, sound,and movement, building a greater awareness of your product range and sales conversion.

P RO PE RT Y

And so I come to the point of the article; after 29 years Hanson Chartered Surveyors is growing up. Change is taking place. We moved offices 3 1⁄2 years ago to accommodate expansion and latterly carried out interviews to provide for further growth, particularly on the Estate Management side but came to the conclusion that combining our resources with another firm would provide a depth of expertise not seen for a generation in Huddersfield if the right partner could be identified. We didn’t have to look far. One phone call to David Heap at Walker Singleton is what it took because like me, David and his partners could see the obvious benefits for our clients. So in June 2018 the wind of change is upon us and the teams at Walker Singleton and Hanson Chartered Surveyors in Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield are looking forward to applying their combined resources for the benefit of our own enlarged client base across the spectrum of industrial, commercial and retail property in West Yorkshire. The change may not be imperceptible but it will be for the good.

Google Optimisation Hosting a YouTube Video on your website increases your ranking in Google searches and the amount of time visitors spend on your website. Increased traffic and conversion lets engines know that customers are engaged in your website. Danny Lacey Stadia Media

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Martin Mellor The foundation of finance: Understanding your account statements One of my roles as both an outsourced finance director and financial training provider is to educate business owners and managers on the fundamental foundations of finance. By understanding the 3 different core statements/reports that make up a set of accounts – and the jargon that goes with them – you’ll become much more confident in your ability to translate the figures, and realise that accounts aren’t really quite as complex as they can first appear and perhaps more importantly start to drive

value from the information rather than just seeing it as a box ticking exercise. 5 key accounting principles So to start, here’s a quick look at the core principles of accounting... Accruals principle/matching principle – this means the process of matching income and costs. So when you show a profit (or loss) in your year’s profit and loss account, what you’re essentially doing is matching the revenue generated by your products or services with how much it’s cost you to do it. You use the date of your invoices to work out if something falls into your accounts or not - irrespective of whether you’ve received the money or paid out the money – which is one very big reason that profit and cash are not the same thing.

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Prudence – this means assuming the worst case scenario. If you tend towards the optimistic you can end up with a misleading sense of success and ‘profit’ that may not actually come to fruition. Not all customers pay their bills for example, so you may have an invoice showing a sale, but don’t have the cash in the bank – it’s prudent to recognise they may not pay as soon as possible. Materiality – this means making decisions about whether transactions are material (i.e. significant) enough to be treated in a particular way.

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like a finance lease, then you should treat it as such. Consistency – you must always be consistent in your decisions and accounting. So for example, if you have something that you’re treating as a finance lease, then you must be consistent and always treat it as a finance lease for the entire duration. You can’t swap between the two. This is only a brief overview of the essential terminology and principles you need to know – for a more thorough guide to all the foundations of finance, then consider booking on one of our courses.

Substance over form – the means to treat something in the spirit in which it was intended to be treated. For example, you may have an operating lease on something you use for your business, but if the transaction actually works more Contact Mark Hanson, Philip Deakin or Joe Oade

01484 4 32 0 43 83 Fitzwilliam Street Huddersfield HD1 5LG

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Upper Calder Valley Renaissance - Networking in the Calder Valley

Todmorden bounces back with new ways to connect businesses. At the UCVR we have never claimed that building and sustaining a business network is easy. It requires commitment, usually the dedication of a few stalwart individuals and ongoing support of the business community.

he first attempt to establish a network in Todmorden in 2015 was quite successful but for various reasons it proved difficult to sustain. UCVR followed this with some research into what the businesses wanted from their network group: when people wanted to meet? and what would bring them to meetings, events or functions? Since the beginning of the year a phoenix “TodConnect” network has arisen. The group, by organising themselves into a formal body, has allowed us to assist them in drawing some funding down from Calderdale Council to support their growth and sustainability.

For information on Todconnect contact Sue Gunn on sue@ todconnect.co.uk visit http://todconnect.co.uk follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ Todconnect/ or Twitter@ Todconnect For information on business networking facilitating in the Calder Valley contact: Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR) Tel. 01422 417286 Email: info@ucvr.org.uk Web: ucvr.org.uk Twitter: UCVR_

Sue Gunn, Chair of Todconnect, said “our aim is to provide a sustainable programme of events and meetings mixing formal and informal. We are looking to create the right environment where businesses can meet, make connections and work together to promote the town and each other. We are already working with other organisations in Todmorden to promote the town and businesses. We know that no organisation can work in isolation in such a vibrant market town. As a connecting organisation we believe we need to reach out to the town’s civic, social and economic interest groups”.

L-R, Judy Parsons “The Linkedin Lady” and Sue Gunn, Chair of Todconnect.

Simon Brearley Chair of the To d m o r d e n ’ s To w n Te a m (Todmorden Pride) said “it is great to see a new and invigorated business group, we look forward to working with them going forward. Businesses are the backbone of our town and we need them to be represented in all forums so we can support them in their promotional activities”.

out via Facebook, Twitter and our website and we now have over 200 businesses on our mailing list so we are confident we have the tools for a strong, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable business group, one in touch with business needs and able to represent the business community internally and externally to the town”.

So far this year Todconnect has held events looking at: what gaps there are in the town’s event calendar that could be utilised, export opportunities for all with Paul Walters of Lime Tree Europe and how to make the most of Linkedin with Judy Parsons “The LinkedIn Lady”.

“ To d C o n n e c t h a s m a d e a n impressive early impact on the town” says Stephen Curry, Chair of UCVR, “they have a great brand and have lifted the business community with their enthusiasm, we’re confident that they will continue to offer interesting and relevant content at their events to attract and engage and ‘connect’ Todmorden’s businesses”.

Sue added that “we are also reaching

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CWDIX LIMITED ACCOUNTANTS & BUSINESS ADVISORS

If you are looking for advice on Accountancy and Taxation matters... OR HAVE THE NEED FOR SPECIALIST SERVICES SUCH AS

• • •

Inheritance Tax Planning, Business planning, Mergers or Acquisitions.

Contact Chris Dix or Carolyn Harman for your free initial consultation

CWDIX LIMITED ACCOUNTANTS & BUSINESS ADVISORS

Unit 4 Silkwood Court Wakefield WF5 9TP Telephone: 01924 263766

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Supporting the new age of business leaders in the heart of the city

The feedback from members has been fantastic and we’d like to extend an invitation to Topic readers to join us for a complimentary tour. We’re opening our doors on 9 October for an Open House event which will also include guest speakers and informal networking. If you can’t make it on 9 October, we’re also offering you the opportunity to visit the IoD premises throughout July and August as our guest. In addition to Leeds, we have facilities across the North of England, including hubs at Wakefield College and – just announced – Piece Mill in Halifax through Leeds Beckett’s regional University Business Centres. Further north, we have just launched an official business hub at Durham University Business

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The IoD is changing to reflect the evolving business landscape. In an uncertain economic climate, we are supporting business leaders of all ages and backgrounds. Did you know, for example, that our 99 Club is the UK’s fastest growing network for entrepreneurs?

Business is increasingly conducted ‘on the move’ these days. Our busy schedules, coupled with advances in technology and connectivity, mean that we can work pretty much anywhere.

This is an exciting move for the IoD that places us right at the heart of the business community in Leeds.

card. This is a world-class facility and the School is ideally positioned for corporate partners to host events ranging from small meetings to conferences.

Natalie Sykes - Regional Director, Institute of Directors

This is where the IoD’s new headquarters at Cloth Hall Court, Leeds, comes into its own. Working in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, we now offer a members’ lounge, meeting rooms and conferencing facilities for up to 300 delegates, along with state-of-theart AV technology and superfast wi-fi – all just across the road from Leeds railway station on Quebec Street.

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For less than £10 a month, we offer 99 members IoD 99 the resources and support network to scale up. One of the many benefits is 24 free visits to IoD regional hubs and the IoD’s headquarters at 116 Pall Mall. We stage regular IoD 99 socials to get to know one another a bit better and you might even get invited to micro pitch your business to fellow 99ers. School, part of Durham University, the third oldest in England and firmly established within the top 10 universities in the UK. Members can hire the School’s available stateof-the-art facilities and hire meeting rooms for free on production of their membership

For TopicUK readers, you will receive three years for the price of 2 and the election fee will be waived if you visit one of our new premises during July, August and September If this sounds of interest, give us a visit this summer!

The Institute of Directors (IoD) was founded in 1903 and obtained a Royal Charter in 1906. The IoD is a non-party political organisation with approximately 35,000 members in the United Kingdom and overseas. Membership includes directors from right across the business spectrum – from media to manufacturing, professional services to the public and voluntary sectors. Members include CEOs of large corporations as well as entrepreneurial directors of start-up companies. The IoD provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its members to key opinion-formers at the highest levels. These include

Government ministers and their shadows, parliamentary committee members, senior civil servants and think-tanks. IoD policies and views are actively promoted to the national, regional and trade media. Follow us on Twitter to get the IoD’s reaction on business and public policy issues. The IoD offers a wide range of business services which include business centre facilities, with 15 UK centres (including three in London, Leeds, Reading, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham, Norwich, Edinburgh, Glasgow and

Belfast) and one in Paris, conferences, networking events, virtual offices, issuesled guides and literature, as well as free access to business information and advisory services. The IoD places great emphasis on director development and has established a certified qualification for directors – Chartered Director – as well as running specific board and director-level training and individual career mentoring programmes. For further information, visit our website: www.iod. com.

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YOUNG

Michal Szlas

founder and MD of Leeds-based mattress specialist, OTTY Q: How old are you? 25 years old.

Q: Tell us a bit about how

you came to be running your business? OTTY came about following my failed search for the perfect mattress. As a young entrepreneur, keen martial artist and free running enthusiast, I understood the positive impact a good night’s sleep has on both mental and physical wellbeing, so went on the lookout for a mattress that would give me the optimum amount of rest to match my busy lifestyle. Unfortunately, the overall purchasing experience was negative, with the process being full of false marketing claims and high prices, so I decided to create my own mattress.

QA &

Working with some of the world’s leading mattress manufacturers, I designed OTTY with a range of unique features, combining triedand-tested materials and industryleading technology, all of which works together to ensure our customers receive the best night’s sleep at a price that doesn’t break the bank.

Q: What areas do you specialise in?

My expertise lies within entrepreneurship. However, I’m

always willing to learn and as a hands-on CEO, I often spend time with members of the team to study more about their processes, which in turn allows me to grow in my own role.

Q: Who has provided you with help and support along the way? I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few great people who have instilled me with confidence, which has helped me get to where I am now. Everyone around me is supportive of what I do and the OTTY team shares my passion. Our teamwork is a huge asset and is undoubtedly a major reason as to why we are one of the UK’s fastest growing mattress brands.

Q: How many clients/ customers do you currently look after? Tell us a bit about them? We sell directly to the end consumer, so each customer is usually a new one. However, we do see a number of people returning to buy an additional mattress for another room in the house, and those who have referred OTTY to their friends and family. While the bed-in-a-box product is loosely targeted to those between 25 and 55, we often see people both below and above that age group happily purchasing the mattress.

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sleeping pattern or ensuring they wake up pain free.

Q: Do you use social media for your business and if so, to what effect? Being an online retailer, we recognise the impact social media has on a company like ours. We’re very active on social media, and regularly collaborate with bloggers and influencers who test and review our products. A percentage of our advertising budget is spent via social media. Ultimately, It allows us to spread the message of a good night’s sleep to a wide, and often relevant, audience.

Q: What advice would you give to

another young entrepreneur starting out in business? Know your market, know your customer and know your numbers. If you understand your target audience, what they’re prepared to pay and how to reach them, you’re onto a winner.

Q: Why do you feel that Yorkshire is a great place to do business?

Q: What would you say has been the

most challenging part of growing/ running your business so far?

Before launching OTTY, I knew it was crucial to find the right people to help develop the company. As a fast-growing startup, we needed employees who were on the same wavelength, and I knew that if we found people who were as passionate as I am, then everything else would fall in place, which so far, it has!

Q: And what has been the most rewarding? At the beginning, I knew that we were going to be entering a market that was quickly becoming saturated, and set about upsetting the apple cart. I knew the USPs I wanted to implement, and it’s rewarding to see these philosophies being well received by customers and industry experts. I also feel proud whenever someone mentions how OTTY has improved their lifestyle, whether it’s due to a better

Being based in Yorkshire is great because not only is it central to the whole of the UK, but it also provides a much better standard of living than London. Rent is cheap, people are nice, there are plenty of great cities, and more importantly, it doesn’t hinder our level of service.

Q: And finally – where do you hope to see the business in five years’ time?

We’re confident that in five years’ time, we’ll be one of the UK’s leading mattress companies.As well as having an increasingly prominent position in the UK, we’ve recently expanded into Germany, with other European countries to follow. This will build our brand awareness across the continent, allow us to hire more members of staff and introduce more products to our current range.

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It’s good to talk when a business venture hits financial trouble

We recently received an urgent referral asking if we could help a business venture that was heading for the rocks, having run into serious financial difficulties. .

successful entrepreneur. The problems that arose were, on the face of it, no fault of his own. It wasn’t until things reached crisis point with negative rumours being discussed online, that the business owner decided to speak out publicly about the situation. When our contact raised the alarm, we quickly set the ball rolling, knowing there’s nearly always a way to source funding that will salvage a viable proposition. Very sadly in this case, “too late was the cry”. The landlord of the premises had reportedly terminated the lease and called time on the venture. No-one likes to dwell on a negative, but this was not an isolated case and we feel there’s a lesson to be learned.

t was a high-profile hospitality sector project which was eagerly awaited, so there was much speculation building up about why there was no sign of it opening, more than a year after it was originally promised.

Far from being an ill-thoughtout scheme, it was part of a very credible expansion plan by a

The moral of the story is that “it’s good to talk” in many cases where we’d really rather not; about our health problems both physical and mental, and about the ill-health of our business and finances too. The time to speak up is when there’s still chance for someone to step in and save the day. This entrepreneur already had a successful business, so maybe

asset finance, borrowing money against existing property, would have sustained the new venture to fruition. With a venue poised to open, invoice finance might have been appropriate, lending against future payments owed to the existing business. A bridging loan could tide things over until the new venture is off the ground. Nowadays, there are numerous alternative lenders who tend to be much less risk-averse than traditional banks. Alternatively, we may have been able to connect the entrepreneur with potential investors or venture capitalists through a partner organisation.

just like with our health problems, there’s no shame in asking for help...

Unfortunately, there’s still a huge taboo around airing our financial woes in public. Understandably noone wants to admit to themselves and others that a venture or a business is in trouble. But, just like with our health problems, there’s no shame in asking for help. An expert with a different perspective may be able to turn the situation round or, at worst, help you protect your personal assets from the impact of a business failure. So, in conclusion PLEASE DO “talk to a human” before it’s too late.

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Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) is a collaboration of established businesses in our major cities who understand the benefits of investing in diversity and inclusion. In our changing and competitive world CIC enables them to share insight and experience that will help everyone attract and retain the talent for the future success of their firms and their cities.

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Retail expansion for Wellington Place

Sainsbury’s, due to open on the 18th July, will be the sixth retail operator to open at the Wellington Place development, taking 5,639 sq. ft. of prime retail space on the ground floor of building number 5. The new store will create 18 jobs and will offer greater grocery convenience to not only employees at Wellington Place, but the wider city centre community, becoming the nearest store to residential developments such as City Island and Whitehall Waterfront. Caffe Nero will also opening at Wellington Place later this summer. The European style coffee house brand will be situated on the ground floor of the newly opened Number 3 building and will open daily, offering a fantastic selection of hot drinks, cold beverages and snacks to eat in or takeaway. James Dipple, CEO of MEPC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sainsbury’s and Caffe Nero to the Wellington Place community. They’re great new additions and will provide even more convenience, joining a wealth of other successful retail outlets including The Good Luck Club, Sociable Folk and L1 Performance.” David Roach, Property Project Manager of Sainsbury’s, added: “We’re always looking to expand into great retail space, and Wellington Place was the perfect opportunity for us. We’re excited about the growth of the development, and the new possibilities that this will bring to us.” Meanwhile, work continues across the site with Number 3 Wellington Place now open for business and confirmation that ground will be broken on Number 4, later this year.

Record numbers attend launch party for Children of Courage Hosted at Weetwood Hall in May, the Yorkshire Children of Courage celebrations was attended by Yorkshire celebrities, sponsors, past winners and a host of contributors. The party is designed as a get together of all those involved in the main Awards ceremony which takes place later this year at New Dock Hall on 12th October . Presented by Made in Leeds TV’s Mark Kielesz-Levine, a packed room heard how the Awards have developed from small beginnings in 2011, into a prestigious black tie event attended by 750 people. The Award winners themselves are the stars

of the show, having been individually nominated and honoured for their achievements for bravery, courage, fundraising and caring. All this is made possible by St. James’s Place Wealth Management in Leeds who came up with the concept and have fashioned it into an enduring spectacle as well as a major fund raiser for their Charitable Foundation. In 2017 the Leeds Foundation Committee awarded over £28K to local charities who applied directly for grants to support their largely child based charitable work in our region. The evening also launched the fund raising for 2018 with 500 raised from a fabulous raffle prize donated by the

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We are already in the fortunate position of being almost fully sponsored for the Awards night and our table sales are the healthiest ever...

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Sovereign donate £50k to Martin House Hospice

to win: Flamingo Chicks, SNAPS and Carers’ Resource.

Variety the Children’s Charity. Eddie Gray, a long time supporter of YCCA was joined by Alex Simmons of Rugby AM, Junior Frood, past winner as well as award winning street dancer, Charlotte Newman who represents the Teenage Cancer Trust as an Ambassador and young actor Jack Downham who plays Noah Dingle in Emmerdale.

Tim commented: “Without the ongoing support from businesses who give generously as sponsors and hosts, sustaining and developing this event would be that much harder. We are already in the fortunate position of being almost fully sponsored for the Awards night and our table sales are the healthiest ever. I am looking forward to our event on 12th October when BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern returns to present to what we anticipate will be record numbers of guests”. Tickets are now on public sale from Jane Clynes Events 07703 271238, and nominations for deserving children as well as votes for the Group Award can be made via the website www. yorkshirechildren.co.uk

Event Ambassadors The Chuckle Brothers sent their apologies having never missed a YCCA party before – they were in London recording for their upcoming Saturday night TV show on BBC1. Tim Willis of St. James’s Place in Leeds introduced the nominees for this year’s Group Award which is voted for online by the Public. All the nominees were in attendance and are busy harnessing support for what is growing into a prestigious award

West Yorkshire health care cash plan provider, Sovereign Health Care, has hit a £50,000 donation milestone for its charity partner Martin House, a hospice based in Boston Spa for children and young people. Sovereign, which this year celebrates its 145th anniversary, reached the sum following continued donations since 2011, with the money going to support care for children and young people in Yorkshire with life-limiting conditions. The company is continuing its support for Martin House as a partner of the charity’s cycling fundraising event, the Bradford Big Dipper Sportive, which has been launched following the success of the Tour de Yorkshire. The Bradford Sportive takes place on Sunday 29 July for cyclists of all abilities to raise crucial funds for Martin House. Consisting of three different routes of 17, 48 and 64 miles, the charity cycle starts and ends at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, with the longest route travelling as far as Colne.

Eddie Gray & Charlotte Newman, Ambassador for Teenage Cancer Trust open the Nominations

Commenting on the milestone, C h r i s Ve r n e y, B r a d f o r d

community fundraiser for Martin House, said: “We have a long association with Sovereign Health Care and we are glad to have received support from its community programme over the years. This has helped us to develop and improve our services, such as a new wheelchair accessible play area for children visiting the hospice. “We are grateful that Sovereign has donated so much over the years and is now supporting our newest event, the Bradford Sportive. All of the donations raised by cyclists taking part in the ride will go towards caring for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.” Russ Piper, chief executive of Sovereign Health Care, said: “Martin House is a charity we have been proud to support for some time now. We are pleased to be a part of the Sportive, and hope that many people across Bradford and further afield will get involved and help to raise more funds for such a worthy cause.” There are 600 places available from £20. To book a place visit: https://www.martinhouse.org. uk/Our-Events/All-Events/TheBradford-Big-Dipper-Sportive.

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TRAV E L

UPDATE

Each edition, One World Travel feature a world destination that can be arranged through their shop in the centre of Wakefield.

Porto

While Lisbon basks in its current reputation as one of Europe’s most on-trend city breaks, and the resorts along the Algarve prepare for the influx of summer holiday vacationers, cities like Porto continue to deliver a real sense of traditional and authentic Portuguese charm..

he city has a very distinct visual and cultural identity: the famous Dom Luís I Bridge spanning the Douro, small bakeries on quaint streets selling homemade Pastel de Nata, clothes drying on the washing lines of the city’s townhouses – many with unique tiled facades, cafes and bars selling the region’s famous fortified wine, artisan craft shops selling local products and gastronomic delights, and the buildings of the Ribeira district (also known as the Old Town) perched on the steep Northern bank of the river.

you arrive, you instantly recognise the importance of cuisine and how it plays such a large role in what makes Porto… Porto. As previously mentioned, you can pick up a fabulous Pastel de Nata whichever district you’re in.

of many of the city’s menus. Another delight is the indulgent Francesinha: a fried sandwich filled with various meats, covered with melted cheese and drowned in a sauce made from beer – often served with a strategically placed fried-egg on the top.

These small custard tarts are a quintessential symbol of Portugal and make a fabulous accompaniment to an espresso as part of a late afternoon break after exploring the city by foot. Pasteis de Bacalhau are small fritters made with Salt Cod – an ingredient that is found

The Mercado do Bolhão food market is a destination no foodie should miss, giving visitors a real sample of Northern Portuguese gastronomy.

Portugal’s second-biggest city is the perfect weekend break for lovers of architecture. It’s colourful and eclectic, blending Neo-Gothic and Medieval styles with Art Nouveau – which sounds far more bizarre than it looks. The 20,000 tiles inside the São Bento railway station are a sight to behold, and the veryBaroque Clerigos Tower breaks the skyline perfectly when stood on the southern bank of the river, almost resembling a Belgian belfry, yet somehow fitting in beautifully. Food here is both wonderfully nostalgic yet always an adventure. From the moment

Not that visitors often feel the need to escape the city, but when they do, it’s usually to

visit the wineries and villages of the Douro Valley. These idyllic hills are home to many estates producing world-renowned Port – and there are various day trips and tasting excursions departing from the city that will allow you to sample both the delicious fortified wine and the stunning scenery rural Portugal has to offer. Porto is an all-round fabulous destination, ideal in the shoulder seasons of Spring and Autumn for a long-weekend or a as part of a wider itinerary including Fatima, Coimbra and Lisbon.

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Law firm marks 15th anniversary HR and employment law firm Howarth’s marks 15th anniversary after starting with nothing more than a computer, a phone and a dream.

Howarths People and Safety Management, based in Cleckheaton, was founded in 2003 by husband and wife team Andy and Helen Howarth to provide HR, employment law and health and safety support to SMEs across Yorkshire. Today, the firm works with over 500 clients across the UK, including national high street footwear retailer, Moda in Pelle, and home of Huddersfield Town Football

Club, the John Smith’s Stadium. Commenting on the milestone, chairman, Andy Howarth, said: “Helen and I started the company by ourselves back in 2003 with nothing more than a computer, a phone and a dream to start our own business. To be marking our fifteenth year in business following what has been one of our most successful financial years to date is a fantastic achievement for the family and everyone involved in making the Howarths what it is today.” Managing director, Gavin Howarth, added: “A major contributor to our growth has been getting the right people in the right places within the

Howarths chairman, Andy Howarth (left), with managing director, Gavin Howarth

business. We are a service business built upon the quality and dedication of our team, and we’ve worked hard to recruit qualified people, and - once they’re with us - create an environment in which they can thrive.”

In August 2017, the firm launched a dedicated HR and investigations division, and in June last year set up The Howarth Foundation, and independent charity established to support the homeless and recently homeless back into employment.

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M ARKE TING

UPDATE

Objectives: Get them in order and success will follow By Katrina Cliffe Managing Director – KC Communications

Now bear with me here. I’m not talking about defining objectives for objectives sake. It is absolutely crucial that before you engage any specific business function, such as marketing, that you are clear in what it is you are looking to achieve so that functions both within and external to the business can help you achieve it.

e hear all the time just how important it is to be setting objectives in order to achieve success. The fact of the matter is, it’s true! But once you’ve set those business objectives do you really consider how they translate down to other areas of the business? Do you share them with your team? And in particular do you define departmental objectives that align with the business objectives?

A g o o d a g e n c y, a n d o f course internal team, will help you identify what your o r g a n i s a t i o n ’ s m a r ke t i n g objectives should be. It is, however, crucial that you are open and honest as to why you are looking to undertake such an activity in order to get the best possible outcome. We’ve often been sat in new business meetings where the client is unsure of what they are looking to achieve or worse still, changes expectations during the project because they’re not entirely sure what they are looking to achieve for their business overall. It might be that they have spotted a competitor getting c o v e ra g e i n t h e p re s s o r achieving some traction on social media and so they decide they want a piece of the action too. But without clear

objectives, you are going to have a very weak story to tell and be very limited in the results you achieve with could ultimately be counterproductive! Remember though, your objectives are supposed to be SMART. While there is a lot of information we can garner from press tracking, social media, Google Analytics and others tools we use, we also need information to be recorded and monitored by the client. These can include understanding where a new lead has come from, what the potential value is, how your business growing month on month etc. This is crucial information for your marketing team! Measuring results can offer an ample amount of insight. Not only will it enable you to identify what is and isn’t working and believe me, undertaking marketing activity can be a case of trial and error but ultimately it can play a huge role in the business growth. So dream big, what are you looking to achieve and how are you going to achieve it? Tweet us @kccomms with your thoughts.

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Huddersfield residents set to benefit as city joins gigabit full fibre premier league CityFibre are to invest £30 million in full fibre infrastructure for Huddersfield in partnership with Vodafone

For residents of Huddersfield, the future is now.”

CityFibre has been championing Huddersfield’s digital transformation since 2014 when it unleashed ultrafast internet speeds, super reliability and near limitless bandwidth with the launch of the city’s 52km full fibre network. Today, it serves 176 Kirklees Council sites, including schools, libraries and offices, as well as local businesses within reach of the current infrastructure footprint. And now, residents will soon benefit too! This April, Vodafone and CityFibre identified Huddersfield as one of the next towns and cities to receive new investment in Gigabit-capable infrastructure as part of their strategic plan to bring full fibre connectivity within reach of at least one million homes by 2021. A detailed planning and build programme is now underway as part of this first phase of deployment, which will see CityFibre invest £30m in extending its existing Gigabit City network to almost every home and business in the town – a move that will future-proof Huddersfield for all the demands of the digital age. By using fibre optic cables for every stage of the connection from the customer’s home or business to the Internet, users will be offered a significantly superior and more

reliable broadband service, capable of Gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps). Vodafone will use CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast broadband to customers in Huddersfield, while businesses are already able to connect to the network though a range of internet service providers. Vodafone UK Chief Executive, Nick Jeffery, said: “I’m delighted to welcome everyone living in Huddersfield to the full fibre club, with a broadband service like no other. After five months we are

well on track with the joint Gigafast broadband programme that will help position the UK as a world leading digital centre.” Greg Mesch, Chief Executive at CityFibre, said: “Huddersfield will be among the first towns in the UK to benefit from this game-changing infrastructure programme, which will have a transformative impact on homes and businesses alike. We’re moving closer to our vision of a Gigabit Britain, where digital inadequacy is a thing of the past and full fibre connectivity is the norm.

Karl Battersby, Strategic Director for Economy and Infrastructure at Kirklees Council, said: “The council welcomes news of this major investment in the digital infrastructure of the Huddersfield area by CityFibre. As a council we recognise that digital connectivity is as critical to a vibrant community and economy as other public infrastructure such as transport. We look forward to working with CityFibre to maximise the potential benefits of this major investment to the residents of Huddersfield.” To find out more about the Gigabit City infrastructure in Huddersfield visit: https://www. cityfibre.com/Huddersfield or follow @GigabitHudds Residents can pre-register their interest in Vodafone’s Gigafast home broadband services at www.vodafone.co.uk/ broadband/ultrafast. Businesses can register for commercial services at www. cityfibre.com/connect

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C U LT U R E

Jill Halfpenny is ‘The Girl on the Train’ The World Premiere of The Girl on the Train played at West Yorkshire Playhouse from May through to June and amongst guests on the opening night was TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler. However, a couple of weeks before, Gill managed to speak with star of the show Jill Halfpenny Taking the lead role as Rachel Wilson in the first stage production of Paula Hawkins’ riveting best-selling novel, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, who finds herself as a suspect in an extraordinary mystery, is television a n d s t a g e s t a r Ji l l Halfpenny, best known for leading roles on stage in Abigail’s Party, Chicago and Legally Blonde and television including Coronation Street (ITV),Three Girls (BBC) and Liar (ITV).

experiences what Rachel experiences, by telling the story this way, I think audiences will be really onboard with her journey.

Q: What initially attracted you to the role and how are you bringing her character to life? I loved the complexity of Rachel’s character. She’s strived for the perfect life, a perfect house, husband, job and family, but when we meet her at the beginning of the play, she’s at rock bottom, divorced, being evicted from her flat and struggling with alchol addiction.

Q: The best selling novel gripped

the nation, were you familiar with the story? I hadn’t read the book but had heard a lot about the story. When I read the script, I loved how it felt like a psychological thriller on the surface, but with a really interesting portrait of a woman dealing with addiction, loss and pain. In trying to solve the mystery, she finds the truth about herself.

Q: For audiences who know the book or film how does the stage version differ?

Our version is Rachel’s world, whereas in the book the story is told through multiple characters. The audience

She is completely stripped bare having lost everything. As the plot develops, she takes control, realising she can live her life and be happy without having to live up to those ideals. I think audiences will really be able to relate to that side of Rachel’s character.

Q: Are you looking forward to performing at West Yorkshire Playhouse? I can’t wait, I think the Leeds Audience will love the show.

Q: You’ve had such a varied career, do you prefer acting on stage or screen? I don’t have a preference, I’ve always loved working on all different projects, I’m usually drawn to a role by a script.

Jill Halfpenny in rehearsals for The Girl on the Train. Photography by Richard Davenport

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Arts Council England outlines its priorities for the next two years By Murray Edwards - Art and business consultant Wakefield

I was interested to see that the Art’s Council’s recently published Corporate Plan for 20182020 has identified six corporate priorities that will inform their investment decisions during this period and lay the ground-work for future periods. The Plan outlines its priorities for the next two years and includes a renewed focus on building resilience into the sector. The national funder also wants to develop a culture of enterprise and increase the use of loan finance. The use of loan finance is not new, but in developing “a culture of enterprise and innovation” and furthering their aim of “supporting organisations to be more enterprising and innovative” I am intrigued that at the same time they intend to increase the amount of repayable loan finance by co-investing in a small number of opportunities to leverage additional resources for the sector, and thus demonstrate where loan finance can complement or replace grant funding. Whilst it is true that some organisations still tend to reply too heavily on grant funding, it will be interesting to discover whether this approach delivers the outcomes anticipated, or whether the potential risks inherent in such an approach mitigate against artistic enterprise. The plan also references ACE’s

commitment to supporting the inclusion of creativity in the school curriculum, increasing spending on the arts outside London, lobbying local authorities to support the arts (which recent evidence demonstrates is continuing to decline) and building the case for the social impact of investment in the arts. Key priorities One of six key priorities for ACE over the next two years is improving the diversity of artistic work, audiences and cultural staff. The report notes funded organisations will need to set themselves “increasingly demanding targets” and those in receipt of the most funding will need to achieve a ‘strong’ Creative Case for Diversity rating by 2021. ACE also commits to improving data collection on audience diversity and socio-economic reach, using this to inform future investment. It intends to broaden the data it collects from the largest arts organisations to include information on the class background of leadership and boards and also promote the use of data to inform decision making within arts

organisations. Whilst this is an understandable objective, I shall be interested to see how this is achieved.

the potential of Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Wolverhampton as Black and minority ethnic ‘talent hotspots’.

Achieving goals

Last month, the Isle of Wight was announced as a ‘priority location’ for the Arts Council. The funder promised to help create a “unified voice for culture” in the area and work to develop local arts organisations including New Carnival Company and Shademakers.

Alongside its priorities for the next two years, the strategy document refreshes ACE’s plan for achieving the five goals outlined in its 2010-20 strategy ‘Great Art and Culture for Everyone’. It will undertake an evidence review into the potential for increasing the amount of private giving to arts and culture, building on the Private Investment in Culture survey. It will also develop more strategic partnerships with private funders and create a network of Community Foundations and individual philanthropists to “share knowledge, and support future programme development”. As there are already 46 Community Foundations covering the length and breadth of the British Isles, it is not clear what value this will bring unless the reference is to encouraging relationships with the existing network of Foundations. Area plans The document also sets out priorities for each artform and each of the five ACE areas. In the North, ACE commits to achieving a “long-term beneficial legacy” for Hull after its year as City of Culture, and in the Midlands to developing

An ACE spokesperson said each arts council area has its own strategic plan, which “may identify places of focus for cultural development”. They stressed the agreements don’t guarantee specific new investment, but “we hope the time we spend there will result in strong, competitive applications for our existing programmes”. In a Nutshell This document demonstrates to me that the Arts Council is changing. It seems that they now see themselves as the catalyst for encouraging other forms of external investment, and not just from the usual suspects. The continuing decline in local authority funding is necessarily forcing arts organisations to look around on a much broader basis than has been the case, hitherto. This can only be a good thing if it brings more voices to the table and broadens the base of on-going support.

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71 YORKSHIRE EDITION JULY 2018

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FOOD

DRIN K

Explore fine beer by bus When avid ale enthusiast Mark Stredwick returned to Yorkshire after travelling the world, living in Australia for 16 years and undertaking 2-month craft beer tour of North Western America, he was delighted to find that in the time he had been out of the country, small microbreweries had opened producing quality craft beers.

ark was frustrated however that these small-scale operations often mean smallscale availability and that means that many people don’t get to sample and explore the incredible range of craft beers and real ales the county has to offer. “I’d always been interested in beer so setting up Brewtown Tours, that features some of Yorkshire’s best kept beer secrets was the perfect business for me,” said Mark who is based in York. “The Brewtown bus is small, accommodating just 8 people which ensures the day is personal and I can speak with everyone and find out what they like and don’t like, to make sure their experience of the tour is enjoyable.” These small groups learn about the brewing process, explore the inside of a working brewery and sample many of the delicious beers that are brewed there. “We offer a fun, laid back touring experience with fellow beer lovers whilst offering our knowledge of the local beer

scene,” added Mark. “Every tour is different and has something unique to offer. TopicUK editor Gill Laidler was invited on the Leeds tour recently and here’s what she had to say: “Before I share my experience, you have to know that I am not a beer drinker, Gin is my

favoured tipple, followed by a glass of red wine, so this was a new experience for me and I think Mark saw it as a bit of a challenge to convert me into enjoying a glass of craft beer. “Taking a taxi into Leeds and the pick up outside the Queens Hotel, I was pleased to see the Brewtown tour bus already

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there, at least 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Mark quickly jumped out and welcomed me, ushering me into the front seat beside him as the rest of the guests were all men, so a gallant move. “ We w e r e t o v i s i t t h r e e breweries during the course of the afternoon, the first of which was Quirky Brewery in Garforth. On the journey, Mark explained a little about the brewery and told us what to expect. Quirky is a very small business that started in a garden shed but had expanded into a small industrial unit. “After sampling three of the beers in the small bar, we moved into the brewing room to be greeted by the owner and head brewer who shared the story of Quirky and how he makes the beer. My verdict? Albeit pleasant and drinkable, I wasn’t converted yet into a beer drinker. “Back to central Leeds and onto the next brewery, Northern Monk in Holbeck. Set in a Grade 11 listed mill, Northern Monk was much bigger with a large bar upstairs, an event space on the top floor and a pretty beer garden that was very busy. “After visiting the brewing rooms where Mark explained how they made their beer, all 20,000 pints a week, brewed on site and distributed all over the world, we headed off to the bar where Mark again brought us three drinks, the first two of which were very nice and I started to think I could enjoy beer. The final drink however converted me, a beer that was very dark, like a stout I am told, that was brewed using coffee and dark chocolate, I loved

it, so much so I bought some to take home, I think this pleased Mark, I was converted! Northern Monk was also a really cool bar that serves food and just a stone’s throw from Leeds train station. “The final brewery, The Northern Brewing Company was just a short drive across the city at Sheepscar. This was a real surprise. Mark had told us that street food was available here if anyone was hungry but turning the corner I was amazed to see at least 200 hundred people sitting outside the brewery which is housed inside an industrial unit with a row of stalls all selling vegetarian and vegan street food and with music playing, making it a real carnival atmosphere. Who would think that something like that exists every Friday night, Saturday and Sunday during the Summer months. The beer here was very fruity but refreshing on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon. All in all, this was a brilliant

afternoon out and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone, beer lover or not. One of our party who is getting married in the coming weeks enquired about his stag, and was told not a problem, very popular with both stags and hens! The tours are friendly and Mark certainly knows his beers.” If you would like to experience for yourself you can book online at brewtowntours.co.uk or email info@brewtowntours. co.uk. Mark is available on 01904 636666.

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Bounce into and before a

Spring into

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where will it take you?

Around 70 big name shops and restaurants, enjoy free Wi-Fi, and park for only 50p on evenings and all day Sunday in a choice of 1,000 spaces. A great day out awaits you in Wakefield city centre.

trinitywalk.com

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Businesses fight cyber crime Businesses in Calderdale and Kirklees are being offered support in the fight against cyber crime. Orchard Facilities Management has launched a new initiative aimed at protecting organisations from cyber-attack and meeting the latest data protection legislation. Neil Ewing, managing director said they had recently been awarded Cyber Essentials certification and was now preparing to help its clients meet the same rigorous standards.

bramleys 11-13 DENARD INDUSTRIAL EST, TANYARD RD, MILNSBRIDGE, HUDDERSFIELD HD3 4NB

UNITS A, B & C HOLLIN PARK COURT, CALVERLEY, PUDSEY LS28 5QE

TO LET

• Brand New Industrial Units • 73.90m² (795ft²) • 3 Units within a terrace of 4 single storey industrial/warehouse units which are of steel portal frame construction clad in stone and profile steel insulated cladding located 3 miles to the southwest of Huddersfield town centre with good access to the Manchester Road (A62) • The units have the benefit of a drive-in loading door 4m x 3m • EPC Asset Rating TBC

• Single Storey Workshop Premises • 676.8m² (7,285ft²) • With good yard space and car parking for approx 25 cars • Large loading door with security shutter • 3 Phase electricity • Accessible for Leeds (within 9 miles) and Bradford (within 5 miles) • EPC Asset Rating B

“There is a huge push from the government to encourage all businesses, large and small, to become Cyber Essentials certified as part of the new General Data Protection Regulation but it can be an onerous process,” he explained. “It is possible to do it independently but the specific information that needs to be supplied to the accreditation body and the time involved can be significant,” he added.

As well as protecting your own business from the threat of cyber attack, certification reassures your customers that you value their data and take a proactive approach to cyber security, which is really important at a time when there’s such a big focus on data protection,” he concluded.

Industrial & Commercial Property Consultants

HUGH HOUSE, FOUNDRY STREET, BRIGHOUSE HD6 1LT

TO LET

• Industrial Unit/ Workshop • 662m2 (7,126ft²) • Single storey warehouse/workshop premises with good office content • Finished to a modern specification • 3 Phase electricity & 2 Loading doors • Accessible location on the edge of Brighouse town centre in close proximity to Junctions 24 & 25 of the M62 • EPC Asset Rating D

PREMISES AT LINCOLN STREET, OFF ST ANDREW’S ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 6RX

TO LET

• Factory Premises with Showroom & Offices • 293.37m² (3,158ft²) to 950.02m² (10,226ft²) • Including Mezzanine • 216.03m² (2,325ft²) • Available as an entire building or alternatively will split • 3 phase electricity and gas supply • EPC Asset Rating D

14 St. George’s Square, Huddersfield HD1 1JF

01484 530361

“It has huge benefits for businesses of all sizes, including public and private organisations and charities.

28 TOWNGATE, WYKE, BRADFORD BD12 9NT

288 HALIFAX ROAD, LIVERSEDGE WF15 6NP

FOR SALE

• Investment Property • Gross Rental Income £18,100 per annum • Two ground floor retail units which are separately occupied • Occupied as a restaurant and takeaway • Good remaining lease terms • EPC Asset Rating E

• Two Storey Former Methodist Chapel operating as a Footwear Warehouse • Extending to approximately 217.61m (2,342ft) with previous planning permission for conversion into residential • A Substantial 7 Bedroom Residential Property to the Rear • Commercial EPC Rating C • Domestic EPC Rating E

Offices also at Mirfield, Heckmondwike, Elland and Halifax

commercial@bramleys1.co.uk bramleys.com/commercial BRAMLEYS COMMERCIAL AD_188x132_170518.indd 1

17/05/2018 12:36

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INFORM ATION

TECHNO LO GY

GDPR The next steps

25th May 2018 was the GDPR ‘Deadline’ day…… and phew…… the GDPR police did not come a knocking, but this does not mean that it is all over…. Topic technology expert Jason Newell from iclaritate will provide some useful advice on the next steps to take if you have not yet started the GDPR compliance journey.

There are 12 fundamental points to the new regulation:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Be Aware Ensure that all staff are aware of the new regulation Get Informed Look at the data you currently hold and where it is held Communicate Review your current privacy and data policies Individual Rights Get familiar with the rights of customers SAR’s How to deal with ‘Subject Access Requests’ for data held Data Processing Make sure that you have the right to hold the data you have Review Consent No means no…… and no response does not mean yes Think of the Children Gather parental or guardian consent Data Breaches Detect, report and investigate all personal data breaches Codes of Practice Familiarise yourself with the ICO codes of conduct Data Protection Officer Employ one (if required) or nominate some to act as one International Required if your business operates in more than one EU member state

ost of these can be covered through company policies, procedures and registers. The main policies to be aware of include Data Retention, Data Privacy, Acceptable Use, Information Security and Privacy Notice. The procedures to also be aware of are; the initial data audit and data protection impact assessment. Finally, the registers to be aware of are; data breach; subject access request, training, supplier and risk. For small business, up to 10 employees or so these

can all be created and updated manually using a combination of Microsoft Office documents. Each of the policies needs to be reviewed on a regular basis and you decide on this review period. For larger businesses the adoption of a virtual DPO will provide all the above on a monthly subscription basis. There is a halfway house between the two solutions that uses an online portal for training and storing / updating; policies, procedures and registers with full audit trails. This can be combined with some consultancy time from a certified GDPR practitioner for the data audit and verification. The technology aspects of the regulation relate mainly to the information security policy; this requires regular updates for Windows / other operating system and recommends endpoint security along with encryption on portable devices. Other relevant technology solutions can be added to the plan such as continuous vulnerability scanning, risk analysis software and website protection. For many of us, and iclaritate is no different, when it comes to the new GDPR it is the effect that this will have on the marketing side of the business. For many years prospect data has been collected through various forms and it is this data that will risk contravening the new regulations. Last year Wetherspoons purged all the personal data it held on potential / prospect customers and started afresh, the thinking behind this was quality over quantity. As the first to do this they clearly benefitted from the PR it generated but not everybody would feel comfortable deleting it all! iclaritate are NOT GDPR consultants and have never claimed to be, although we do work with certified GDPR consultants to help businesses on the road to compliance.

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The Devil is in the detail

MOTO RIN G

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Brothers steer towards success in world of car detailing is the only car detailing business to h o l d a c c r e d i t a t i o n a n d certification with four of the leading product manufacturers in the detailing & paint protection film sectors - Gyeon Quartz, Gtechniq, Kamikaze Collection and Xpel Protective Films.

Imran and Rizwan Safdar were born and raised in Huddersfield. Inspired by their parents’ strong work ethic, the brothers have always been naturally ambitious. Their latest business venture, Valiant Detailing was borne out of their love of cars and their frustration at the lack of understanding in the market for addressing a range of paint defects on vehicles such as swirl marks, paint etching and deeper scratches. They experienced first-hand the disappointing valet services offered locally which seemed to further spoil their car paintwork rather than treat and improve it. So, Rizwan and Imran set out to fill this gap and deliver the service they felt was missing. Car detailing – what is it? Car detailing is an American term which has found its way to the UK in recent years. It is a top-to-bottom, deep clean of a car which aims to restore it to its factory finish standards. The industry is growing in popularity amongst supercar owners and motor enthusiasts and choosing a car detailer is an important decision as many car owners and enthusiasts often entrust their most prized possession to these experts.

Starting a car detailing business is not for the faint hearted and the launch of Valiant Detailing follows years of significant investment. The brothers first invested in the creation of a custom-designed studio, followed by intense training and accreditation to master the skills required to carry out car detailing, installation of ceramic coatings and paint protection film fitment. Rizwan says: “I am a perfectionist by nature and over the past te n years I’ve de veloped a deep understanding of all the products and processes involved in delivering different aspects of the service.” Rizwan believes that his company

He continues: “We are very proud to be exclusive applicators for the accredited range of products the brands offer. This enables us to tailor our product offering to our clients and create a personalised service for optimum results.”

stage, following an invitation to showcase its work at Waxstock; Europe’s largest car detailing show. He explains: “We’ll be preparing & detailing a car to be showcased on the Gyeon Quartz stand, which is a huge nod to the standard of work we now deliver.” Meanwhile Imran, who is a parttime TV presenter on the British Muslim TV Network, is utilising his broadcasting and presentation skills to broaden the company’s reach.

Supercar success He says: “Our future plans include In April this year, the company the production of videos to was asked to prepare a Ferrari and promote the brand and support a McLaren for use in the shooting the next stage of Valiant’s growth. of a music video involving a well“Apprenticeships are also in the known mixed language singer. pipeline as we intend to continue He adds: “The cars went through to invest in people and provide an enhancement detailing process intensive training programmes to provide the highest levels of to maintain our high standard vehicle preparation while creating of work as the team grows. A the ultimate gloss finish before retail division is also planned to launch in late 2018 so that filming commenced.” we can continue to support Over the next month, the firm our customers with the sale of is preparing to take to the main professional aftercare products.”

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“Cheers!”

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as funding package makes pub dream come true out what the best course of action would be. At this stage it was decided that an unsecured business loan from alternative funder RateSetter would work best for her and the pub. “An unsecured business loan is easier for small businesses to obtain, as they don’t have to come up with collateral - so Janice did not have to secure the repayments against her property.” The newly refurbished pub is now up and running, serving great food in a beautifullyrevamped restaurant area upstairs and putting on popular evening events for customers.

Commercial finance brokers ABL Business have been raising a glass with licensee Janice Atkinson after helping her to realise her dream of owning her own pub. Janice had run the popular gastro pub, just outside Manchester, for several years when the opportunity arose to buy the premises. ABL’s joint Managing Director Alex Beardsley, Commercial Finance Executive Luke Rodgers and their team worked with Janice to secure a cash injection which she has used for the purchase and refurbishment of the pub. Janice was first introduced to ABL towards the end of 2017 when she was looking for some expert advice on how to get the finance to cover the full cost of buying the pub. After gathering all the necessary information from Janice and gaining an understanding of her and her business, it was decided that her best option would

be a 100% purchase price mortgage from Barclays. That meant that the full purchase price was covered without Janice needing to find a deposit. Like many commercial properties, the pub purchase was liable for VAT on top of the asking price, so there was also a specialist VAT Bridge loan put in place to cover this expense. Many commercial property sales are exempt from VAT but people have to pay it up front then claim it back. The VAT Bridge loan covers this expense until the client is in a position to reclaim the payment and clear the outstanding debt. Once she’d bought the pub, Janice came back to ABL Business at the beginning of this year, seeking help to source an additional loan to cover the cost of a refurbishment.

In this case, the ABL team were particularly keen to join their satisfied customer for a celebration drink. Alex added: “We’re delighted to see the project come to fruition and wish Janice and her lovely pub every success for the future.” Janice says: “It’s been a pleasure to work with ABL Business Ltd to get the funding I needed to be able to purchase the pub and to do the refurbishment. If any businesses are looking for finance, be sure to speak to ABL”. Should you have any funding requirements; whether for development or business growth, the team at ABL Business will work with you to structure a finance package that suits the needs of your business. Find out more at www.abl-business.co.uk, call 01274 965356 or email info@abl-business. co.uk .

Alex Beardsley said: “As we’d already built up a relationship with Janice it was easier for us to understand her needs and work

ABL Business Ltd is a member of NACFB (National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers) and is regulated and authorised by FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Find out more on www.abl-business.co.uk

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tomorrow

MAGAZINE FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, APPRENTICES AND STUDENTS

81 YORKSHIRE EDITION JULY 2018